THE OSPREY. 



179 



The Osprey (P. h. tolioetus). Middle toe, showing 

 spine-like scales. 



back of crown and sides of nape creamy- 

 white with scarcely any streaks (feathers of 

 back of crown and nape pointed and somewhat 

 elongated) ; rest of upper-parts dark brown with purplish gloss, 

 feathers with very narrow whitish or buffish tips ; feathers of lores 

 bristle-like, black with short whitish tufts at base ; ear-coverts 

 black-brown extending in a broad line down sides of neck ; chin 

 and upper-throat white more or less finely streaked black-brown ; 

 lower-throat and upper-breast pale brown sometimes tinged 

 rusty forming broad pectoral band ; rest of under-parts white 

 to creamy-white usually with a very few small rusty-brown or 

 rusty-buff spots here and there ; axillaries and inner under 

 wing-coverts white with varying amount of rusty-buff markings 

 and brown spots, outer under wing-coverts brown with whitish 

 tips and lower feathers barred white or cream ; tail-feathers dark 

 brown narrowly tipped buffish-white, shafts yellowish-brown, inner 

 webs (except of central pair) broadly barred pale brown at tip 

 and white for rest of length, and outer webs often with faintly 

 marked pale brown bars ; outer primaries : tips and outer webs 

 blackish, inner webs white mottled brown ; inner primaries and 

 secondaries dark brown glossed purple, barred white on basal 

 portions of inner webs, amount of white decreasing on inner 

 secondaries ; primary-coverts blacker than rest of wing-coverts 

 which are like upper-parts. N.B. — Whitish tips to feathers of 

 upper-parts soon wear off, crown and nape become whiter and less 

 buff and brown of upper-parts much paler by wear and fading 

 and purple gloss is lost. This plumage is acquired by complete 

 moult apparently of a very gradual nature and I have examined 

 moulting birds taken in every month of the year. 



Nestling. — No very young nestling seen. Birds partially 

 VOL. II. n 2 



