ClafsII. O S P R E Y. 129 



lefs than thofe of a hen. It feeds chiefly on fiHi *, 

 taking them in the fame manner as the Tea eagle does, 

 by precipitating itfelf on them, not by fwimming ; its 

 feet being formed hke thofe of other birds of prey, 

 for the left is not at all palmated, as Limideus^ copying 

 the errors of antient writers, afferts it isf. The 

 Italians compare the violent defcent of this bird on 

 its prey, to the fall of lead into water, and call it, 

 Aumifia piumhina^ or the leaden eagle. 



The bird here defcribed was a female ; its weight Defer, 

 was fixty-two ounces : the length twenty-three inches : 

 the brea„dth five feet four inches : the wing when 

 clofed reached beyond the end of the tail : that, as in 

 all the hawk kind, confifts of twelve feathers ; the two 

 middle feathers v/ere dufky : the others barred alter- 

 nately on their inner webs with brown and white : 

 on the joint of the wing next the body was a fpot of 

 white : the quil feathers of the wings were black : 

 the fecondary feathers and the coverts duflcy, the 

 former having their interior webs varied with brown 

 and white. The inner coverts white fpotted with 

 brown. The head fmall and flat, the crown white 

 marked v^ith oblong dull^y fpots. The cheeks, 

 chin, belly and bread white, the lad fpotted with a 

 dull yellow: from the corner of each eye is a bar of 

 brown that extends along the fides of the neck point- 

 ing towards the wing. The legs were very fhort, 

 thick and flrcng : their length being only two inches 

 and a quarter ^ their circumference two inches : their 

 iiolor a pale blue ; the outward toe turns eafily back- 



* Turner fays it preys alfo on coots, and other water fowl. 

 > .■! Pesfinifter fubpalniatus. Lin./yji, gi. No. 21. 



ward 



