(54 THE FISH HAWK, OR OSPREY. 



nary length, much rounded, extending considerably beyond the tips of the 

 wings; of twelve, broad, rounded feathers. 



Bill, cere, edge of eyebrow, iris, and feet yellow; claws bluish-black. The 

 general colour of the plumage is deep chocolate, the head, neck, tail, abdo- 

 men, and upper and under tail-coverts white. 



Length 34 inches; extent of wings 7 feet; bill along the back 2f inches, 

 along the under mandible 2f, in depth 1 T 5 2; tarsus 3, middle toe 3£. 



Genus V.— PANDION, Sav. OSPREY. 



Bill short, as broad as deep at the base, the sides convex, the dorsal outline 

 straight at the base, decurved towards the end; upper mandible with a festoon 

 on the edges at the curvature, the tip trigonal, very acute; lower mandible 

 with the edges slightly arched, the tip obtusely truncate. Nostrils oval, 

 oblique, large, half way between the ridge and the cere. Legs rather long; 

 tarsus very short, remarkably thick, covered all round with hexagonal scales; 

 toes also remarkably thick, the outer versatile larger than the inner, all 

 scutellate only towards the end, and covered beneath with prominent, conical, 

 acuminate scales; claws long, curved, convex beneath, tapering to a fine point. 

 Plumage compact, imbricated; feathers of the head and neck narrow, acumi- 

 nate; of the tarsus short and very narrow, without the elongated external 

 tufts seen in all the other genera. Tail rather long, a little rounded. Intes- 

 tine extremely long and slender, its greatest width 2\ twelfths, the smallest 

 h twelfth. 



THE FISH HAWK, OR OSPREY. 



Pandion Haliaetus, Savig. 

 PLATE XV.— Male. 



The habits of this famed bird differ so materially from those of almost all 

 others of its genus, that an accurate description of them cannot fail to be 

 highly interesting to the student of nature. 



The Fish Hawk may be looked upon as having more of a social disposition 

 than most other Hawks. Indeed, with the exception of the Swallow-tailed 

 Hawk (Falco/urcatus), I know none so gregarious in its habits. It migrates 



