owls. 349 



which part it is mixed with brown ; on the chin a few slender, dusky 

 streaks ; across the upper breast a very broad band of brown, the 

 feathers margined paler ; all the other parts beneath white, like the 

 former. The upper parts also like the former ; the quills dusky ; some 

 that had not been moulted are brown ; the tail dusky brown, the pale 

 bars not very conspicuous on the upper side ; the legs and toes are 

 remarkably roughened with scales, and on the inner side of the ex- 

 tremity of the outer toe are two or three spines. This was shot in 

 July. 



Colonel Montagu on crossing the bridge over the river Avon, at 

 Aveton GifFord, in the month of April, observed an Osprey hawking 

 for fish; at last its attention was arrested, and like the kestrel, in 

 search of mice, it became stationary, as if examining what had attracted 

 its attention. After a pause of some time, it descended to within about 

 fifty yards of the surface of the water, and there continued hovering 

 for another short interval, and then precipitated itself into the water 

 with such great celerity as to be nearly immersed. In three or four 

 seconds the bird rose without any apparent difficulty, carried off a trout 

 of moderate size, and instead of alighting to regale upon its prey, 

 soared to a prodigious height, and did not descend within his view. 

 This bird flies heavily, not much unlike the common buzzard ; but not 

 unfrequently it glides slowly along with motionless wing. When ex- 

 amining the water for prey, its wings are in continual motion, although 

 it remains stationary for a considerable time ; its superior weight, per- 

 haps, renders it difficult to continue suspended in the air, with the 

 imperceptible motion of the wings, observed in the kestrel. 



Possibly the Osprey was formerly trained to hawking for fish, as we 

 find by an act passed in the reign of William and Mary, persons were 

 prohibited at a certain period of the year, from taking any salmon, 

 salmon-peal, or salmon-kind, by hawks, racks, or gins. 



OTIS (Linnaeus.) Bustard. — A genus thus characterised. Bill of 

 mean length, nearly straight, compressed at the base, point of the upper 

 mandible curved ; nostrils removed from the base ; lateral, oval and 

 open ; legs long, naked above the knee ; tarsus reticulated ; toes three, 

 all forward, short, and united at the base ; wings mean length, the 

 third feather the longest. 



OUZEL. — A name given to several birds, as the Dipper. 



OWLS (Strigidce, Leach.) — * A family of birds of prey (Raptores, 

 Illiger,) distinguished by their mostly preying by night, or at least 

 when most other birds are at roost. The pupil of the eye is capable of 

 great extension; it is also furnished with a strong nictitating mem- 



