PANDIOlSr. 41 



Further southwards, along the shore of Western Mexico, Xantus found P. haliaetus 

 at Colima ^^, and Sumichrast on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec ^^. 



On the eastern coast of Mexico the Osprey no doubt occurs from the B.io Grande to 

 Yucatan and the islands off the coast. From the interior of Mexico we have not so 

 many records ; but Herrera tells us ^^ that he obtained specimens at various times at 

 Xochimilco, in the valley of Mexico, and that he was informed that the Osprey also 

 occurred on the lake of Chalco, and that it arrives in September or October. It feeds 

 on the fishes of the valley, each bird eatingj daily one or two Antherina humboldti and 

 many small fish, leaving the heads of the larger kinds. Batrachians and other aquatic 

 animals are not touched. The natives say that it chases and kills Kingfishers, but 

 never devours them. 



On the coast of British Honduras this species is very abundant, and one of the first 

 birds Salvin secured on landing at Belize in December 1857 ^ was an Osprey, which, 

 flying over the forest at the back of the town with a fish in its talons, fell to a charge 

 of small shot. Nearly every one of the cays which stud this coast has its pair of 

 Ospreys, and on Tobacco Cay, on the barrier-reef, Salvin saw a large nest which seemed 

 to have been occupied for several years and added to from time to time ^^. 



When visiting the Pacific coast of Guatemala in 1863 Salvin again found this species 

 in numbers — every lagoon inside the beach was tenanted by a pair. This was from 

 San Jose and Champerico to Huamuchal near the frontier of Soconusco. 



The most recent account of the Osprey in North America is given by Bendire^s in 

 his 'Life Histories of North- American Birds,' and Dr. Fisher has also drawn up a good 

 summary of the observations concerning it 2^. As is well known, it builds a huge nest 

 of sticks, and lays as many as three eggs, which are varied in shape and colour, the 

 latter consisting of heavy blotches of various sizes and shades of a rich brown and 

 vinous red on a whitish ground. 



The American Osprey was separated from the European by Gmelin in the last 

 century^, and since then opinions have differed as to whether it is really distinct or not. 

 Most American writers now call it Pandion haliaetus carolmensis, but Dr. Coues and 

 Dr. Sharpe unite both forms under Linnseus's title P. haliaetus. The trifling larger 

 size and the presence generally of a few less spots on the breast are all the characters 

 that can be assigned to the American bird. 



Fam. PALCONID-ffil *. 



In the following arrangement of the Falconidse we adhere to a great extent to the 

 system of the ' Nomenclator Avium Neotropicalium,' which does not very materially 

 differ from that adopted by Mr. Eidgway in his paper on the outlines of a natural 



* At Mr. Salvia's death tlie MS. of the Falconidse was in a forward state. It has been continued with the 

 assistance of Dr. E. Bowdler Sharpe. 



BIOL. CENTE.-AMER., Aves, Vol. III., JuTie 1899, 6 



