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breeding both at Swan River on the western, and at Port Essington on the northern shore of 

 Australia." 



In the Nearctic Region the Osprey is also widely distributed, being met with from the 

 Atlantic to the Pacific. In the fur-countries it is tolerably common. I used frequently to see 

 it in various parts of Canada and New Brunswick, and have known of several nests in the latter 

 province. It arrives there early in April, and leaves about the middle of September. Mr. Bidgway 

 says that on the Atlantic coast it is found from Labrador to Florida, with the exception of a 

 portion of Massachusetts around Boston, where it does not breed, and where it is very rarely met 

 wijth. It also occurs on the coast of Texas. It is occasionally seen in Jamaica and in Cuba, but 

 is not known to breed there. Mr. Newton states that it occurs on the island of St. Croix at all 

 times except during the breeding-season ; and Mr. E. C. Taylor records it from Trinidad. In the 

 interior of North America it is less numerous than on the coast, but is met with on the lakes and 

 larger rivers. Mr. A. C. Stark informs me that he found it breeding in single pairs along the 

 south shore of Lake Superior, from Duluth in Minnesota to Marquette in Michigan, never, how- 

 ever, in colonies as in the Atlantic States. In Western Minnesota, a country full of lakes, and 

 apparently well adapted to its habits, he never saw it — though the Bald Eagle is very common, 

 and he thinks that its abundance may account for the absence of the Osprey. Mr. H. M. 

 Labouchere also informs me that he observed it on Lake Erie, the Mississippi, and the St. Croix 

 river, in the State of Minnesota. On the Pacific side of the continent it is widely distributed. 

 Mr. Dall (Trans. Chic. Acad. Sci. i. p. 272) says that Bischoff obtained specimens, with eggs, 

 from Sitka. He himself obtained several near Nulato, in May 1867 and 1868. They appear, 

 he says, to be not uncommon, but frequent the small rivers rather than the Yukon. They are 

 summer visitants, and build an unusually large nest, to which they return every season. 



It is stated to be common on the coast of California ; and, according to Lawrence, Xantus 

 met with it at Colima, and Grayson on the Tres Marias. It is quite common about Mazatlan. 

 In Central America it is stated by Mr. Salvin to occur abundantly on both coast-regions, being 

 especially common about Belize, where it is believed to breed. In the Pacific it is said to occur 

 only on some of the islands, as, for instance, on the Isle of Pines and the Exchequer group. 



• Being exclusively piscivorous, the Osprey is never found far from water, either near rivers or 

 inland sheets of water, or else on the sea-coast ; but the nest is not unfrequently placed at a 

 considerable distance from the place where it seeks its finny prey, and I have frequently seen it 

 carrying fish tolerably long distances from the water to its nest. When in New Brunswick, a 

 pair of Ospreys usually passed over a shipyard where I was overlooking the men, on their way 

 from the shores of the Bay of Fundy to their nest, which was situated at some distance in the 

 forest ; and I have several times fired at one with a rifle when it was carrying a heavy fish, and 

 sent the bullet close enough to make it drop the fish, which I then secured. Usually they flew 

 at a great altitude ; but, as a rule, they seemed to pass the same way on their journeys to and 

 from their nest. I have frequently seen the present species circling gracefully round in wide 

 circles above the water in search of prey ; and when it perceives a fish it plunges down like an 

 arrow, after hovering for a moment as if to make sure, and dashes into the water, throwing 

 up a shower of spray, and seems rarely to miss its aim. Having secured the fish, it emerges, 

 directly, and soon regains its former altitude by mounting in the air in a spiral direction; and. 



