F 



OSPREY, AND ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON. X99 



FifhingHawk, Catejby, i. 2.—La--uifon, lij.—Brkkell, 173. 9'' Osprey. 



Ofprey, Jofelyn's Rarities, ii. — Br. Zool. i. N" 46. — Latham, i. 45. 



Le Balbuzard, Be Buffon, i. 103. pi. 2. 



Falco Halistus. Blafot. Fifk-orn, Faun. Suec. N" 63. 



Fiik Gjoe, Leems, 234. — i*/. Enl. 414, — Lev. Mus. 



N. 



With blue cere, and feet : head, and lower part of the body, 

 white : upper part brown : two middle feathers of the tail 

 plain brown ; the reft barred with white and brown. 



This, in all refpefts, refembles the European kind. Notwithftand- Manners, 

 Ing it is fo perfecuted by the Bald Eagle, yet it always keeps near its 

 haunts. It is a fpecies of vaft quicknefs of fight ; and v/ill fee a 

 filh near the furface from a great diftance * : defcend with prodigi- 

 'ous rapidity, and carry the prey with an exulting fcream high into 

 the air. The Eagle hears the note, and inftantly attacks the Ofprey j 

 ■who drops the fifh, which the former catches before it can reach the 

 ground, or water. It fometimes happens that the Ofprey perifhes 

 in taking its prey ; for if it chances to fix its talons in an over-grown 

 fifh, it is drawn under water before it can difengage itfelf, and is 

 drowned. 



It is very frequent in Kamtfchatka ; and in llimmerj even under the Place.' 



ArElic zone of Europe and Jfia. Is very common in Sibiria, and 

 ipreads far north; probably common to the north oi America, and 

 Jfia. Is tare in Rujfia. It is likewife very frequent as low on the 

 Wolga as the traft between Syjran and Saratoff, where they are faid to 

 be the fupport of the Ern Eagle, as they are of the White-tailed 

 Eagle in America, each living by the labors of the Ofprey, The 

 'Tartars have a fuperftition, that a wound from its claws is mortalj 

 either to man or filh, and confequently dread its attack f . 



• That agreeable traveller, the reverend Dr. Burnahy, adds, that It is often feea 



j-efting on the wing for fosie minutes, without any vifible change of place, before it 



.defcends. Travels in Amsrica, 2d ed. p. 48, 



t Emails, i. 479. 



Falc» 



