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know, the Osprey always nests singly ; and it is somewhat remarkable that in America it should 

 not unfrequently breed in communities. Messrs. Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway say (N.-Am. Birds, 

 iii. p. 189): — "In some localities the Fish-Hawk nests in large communities, as many as three 

 hundred pairs having been observed nesting on one small island. When a new nest is to be 

 constructed, the whole community has been known to take part in its completion. They are 

 remarkably tolerant towards smaller birds, and permit the Purple Grakle (Quiscalus purpureus) 

 to construct its nests in the interstices of their own. Wilson observed no less than four of these 

 nests thus clustered in a single Fish-Hawk's nest, with a fifth on an adjoining branch. It appears 

 that the female alone undertakes the cares of incubation, the male supplying her with food 

 during the time she is sitting; but when the young are hatched both parents cooperate in 

 obtaining food for their offspring until they are able to cater for themselves." 



The number of eggs deposited is usually three, but occasionally four. Mr. C. Sachse informs 

 me that out of about eighty eggs sent to him by his brother from Ramuck, near Konigsberg, in 

 East Prussia, all are in clutches of three, excepting three clutches, which consist of four eggs 

 each. These eggs were all taken between the 20th and 30th of April. He received, however, 

 last year (1875) a clutch from near Berlin which were taken very late in the season. At Ramuck, 

 Mr. Sachse adds, the Peregrine usually takes possession of the Osprey's nest the following 

 year. 



The eggs of the Osprey are subject to considerable variation. I possess a large series from 

 various parts of Europe and North America, most of which are white, richly spotted and blotched 

 with deep chestnut-red, and sparingly marked with a few purplish grey underlying shell-blurs or 

 markings ; but some have the ground-colour buffy white, the markings very large and close and 

 blurred, not clearly defined. In some there is here and there a large blotch, the rest of the egg 

 being comparatively sparingly blurred and blotched ; and in one or two the deep-red blotches are 

 so close as almost to hide the ground-colour. In size they vary considerably, the largest mea- 

 suring 2|^ by lf| inch, and the smallest 2^ by lf^, the normal size being about 2^f by 

 lfiy inch. A very rich series of the eggs of this bird is figured by Professor Newton in the 

 ' Ootheca Wolleyana.' 



The cry of the Osprey is not loud or harsh ; and it is by no means a noisy bird. Naumann 

 compares its note to the syllables kai, kai, kai; and when alarmed it utters a note like gegiekere, 

 or occasionally a harsh krau. 



When in Norwich lately I looked over the splendid series of Ospreys in the Museum of that 

 town, and fully agree with Mr. Gurney in considering that there is but one species of Osprey. 

 In a letter received not long since from this gentleman he says : — " I believe that the Osprey is 

 cosmopolitan, and that Mr. Sharpe is wrong in treating P. leucoceplialus as distinct. I believe, 

 with a sufficient geographical series, they would be found to run into each other so that no line 

 could be drawn between them. Speaking generally, I think it will be found that the largest 

 Ospreys are those inhabiting the Atlantic coasts of America, and that they become smaller as 

 you travel eastward from there, until, when you get nearly round the world, you find the smallest 

 in Australia and on the Pacific coast of America." In these views I generally concur; but I 

 cannot help thinking that the difference in size is frequently individual and not climatic. I have, 

 for instance, a male from Skane, in Sweden, which is scarcely larger than the small Australian 



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