THE 0SPREY. 181 



not rarely hovering, pouncing down with legs outstretched upon 

 fish. Usual call-note high-pitched " kai-kai-kai," on and near 

 nest a piercing " ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ich-ich-ich." (E.H.) 



Breeding-habits. — In Scotland most nesting-sites were, on islets 

 or rocks in lochs, sometimes only a few feet above water ; in two 

 cases on ruined castles, and at times in trees on islands. Abroad 

 nests may also be met with on ledges of cliffs, sometimes at 

 great heights. Nest. — Often very bulky, having been added to for 

 many years ; built of sticks, twigs, heather-stems, sea-weed and 

 drift-wood, with grass, a feather or two and finer materials in cup. 

 Eggs. — 2 or 3, occasionally 4, extremely handsome, being boldly 

 spotted and blotched with deep chocolate or red-brown and ashy 

 shell-marks on white ground. Average of 100, 61 .59 X 46.3. Max. : 

 69x46 and 68.4x50.3. Min. : 50.4x41.3 and 55.2x40.2 mm. 

 Breeding-season. — About last fortnight of April in south Europe, 

 exceptionally at end of March ; in north Europe much later (latter 

 half May and early June). Incubation. — Period about 4 weeks, 

 said to be by female alone but St. John says male incubates at times. 

 Single brooded. 



Food. — -Almost entirely fish, varying according to locality. Sea- 

 trout, trout, bream, perch, roach, sole and carp recorded from 

 British waters. On migration, when pressed by hunger, has been 

 known to take chickens, while beetles have been found in stomach. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Rare passage-migrant. Formerly 

 summer-resident in several places in Highlands, but now apparently 

 extinct as breeding species. Loch Arkaig was deserted in 1911 and 

 Loch an Eilein in 1903. In England fairly regular but rare passage- 

 migrant (Sept. -Oct. and March-April), occurring in most years on 

 some part or other of coasts or on inland waters ; migrants also 

 recorded occasionally in Scotland (only once O. Hebrides and very 

 rarely Orkneys), Wales, and Ireland. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Europe from Lapland to Spain, Mediter- 

 ranean and Atlantic islands, south to Cape Verdes, north-west and 

 north-east Africa to south Arabia, north Asia south to India and 

 Ceylon, in winter in tropical Africa. Accidental Fseroes. Replaced 

 by closely-allied forms in North America, on the Papuan islands 

 and Australia. 



Genus GYPS Sav. 



Gyps Savigny, Descr. Egypte, Zool., Syst. Ois., i, pp. 71, 95 (1809 — 

 Monotype : Gyps vulgaris = fulvus). 



Head and long neck without feathers, more or less covered 

 with short woolly down, a well-marked ruff at base of neck. Bill 

 very high, cere shorter than tip. Nostrils a perpendicular or oblique 

 slit. Tail rounded, 14 rectrices. Four species, S. Europe, Africa 

 and Asia. Eggs white. 



