FALCON. 61 



stieak, at first narrow, growing broader by degrees, and passing 

 behind the neck to the back ; tail rather paler than the upper part, 

 crossed with eight darker brown bars ; inner webs of the feathers 

 more or less white, but marked in the same manner with brown ; 

 legs very stovit, rough, light blue, and feathered rather below the 

 joint ; claws very long, stout, and hooked. 



The female differs in being larger, with a greater mixture of 

 broAvn on the forehead, and a few dashes of brown on the breast. 

 In both the feathers of the hindhead are elongated, and may be 

 erected into a sort of crest. 



This is common in various parts of North America, and is the 

 mi willing provider of fish for the Bald Eagle, which is ever on the 

 watch to serve its ends, for as soon as the Osprey obtains a fish by 

 diving, the Bald Eagle flies after, and robs it of its prey*. It may 

 be called a bird of passage, as it is found in the northern parts 

 in the summer only, and the first appearance of it is welcomed, 

 being the signal of the approach of various kind of fish to the 

 coasts, on which its food depends. The nest is made generally 

 on single trees, chiefly such as are dead, or in a decaying state, 

 though sometimes on high rocks. It is composed of large sticks, 

 not unfrecjuently four or five feet in depth and two or three broad, 

 mixed with dry stalks, sea weed, green grass, and similar materials, 

 and lined with dry sea grass. The eggs are three or four in 

 nmnber, whitish, generally marked with dull brown. The young 

 appear about the end of June, and are said to remain a Ion**- 

 time in the nest before they attempt to fly. It is very numerous 

 in America, fi-om Canada to Georgia. Mr. Wilson says, he has 

 counted more than twenty nests within half a mile, and that on 

 one small island there were at least " 300 nests of Fishing Hawks 

 that have young, and which, on an average consume, probably, 



* This is also mentioned in respect to the Black Eagle. See Phil, Trans, v. 17. 

 p.9S9.—fClai/ton.J 



