OSPREY. 
119 
In Rutland. — As in Leicestershire. — Breeds regularly in Stoke, Merevale, and 
Wardley Woods, as I am informed by Mr. Horn, who writes me that, with regard 
to this bird forsaking its nest if tampered with, his experience is just the opposite 
to that of Mr. Davenport. He says : — “From an old Magpie’s nest, in 1884, we 
took five Kestrel’s eggs ; from the same nest, in 1885, we took four eggs, and 
about a fortnight later four more, and the keeper told me the other day that, later 
in the season, he saw young birds in the nest. Many years ago I cleared out, at 
short intervals, a Kestrel’s nest four times, taking altogether eight eggs. The old 
Magpie’s nest referred to above is, this year, blown to pieces, but in an adjoining 
tree, on the 24th March, I saw the old Kestrel busy repairing an old Crow’s nest.” 
OSPREY. Pandion halicietus (Linnaeus). 
A rare autumn visitant. — Mr. Babington wrote (Appendix ‘ Potter,’ p. 65) : — 
“One shot by the Marquis of Hastings at Donington Park, October, 1841, is in 
his lordship’s collection.” According to Harley, one was shot in Sileby field in 
1840, while sitting on the shafts of an agricultural roller. A third example was 
obtained by Adams at Groby Pool; and in 1841, during the autumnal months, 
Sir Oswald Mosley recorded that a fourth was shot at Overseal. The late Air. 
Widdowson informed me of one, a male, fired at by Air. George Hack of 
Edmondthorpe, to whom I wrote, and who obligingly informed me that it was 
killed on 13th Nov., 1858, was 5 ft. 4 inches in spread of wing, and was a very 
fine specimen. Air. Widdowson wrote me the further information that, after the 
shot was fired, the bird flew about fifty yards, and Air. Hack thought he had 
killed it, but on skinning it there was not a single fresh shot in it, but an old one 
through the breast bone, in the cavity of the stomach, and much coagulated 
blood. Air. Widdowson remarked that he had “ no doubt the exertion killed it, 
and that it received this wound at Stapleford Park, where it was previously shot 
at.” In the ‘ Alidland Naturalist,’ 1882, p. 62, Air. Alacaulay records that one, 
shot some years since at Noseley, is now in the possession of Sir A. Hazlerigg ; 
but the latter gentleman tells me that this is incorrect, there being no Osprey 
at Noseley, therefore, whoever was Air. Alacaulay ’s informant is to blame for the 
mis-statement. I received one, shot at the Reservoir, Bradgate Park, on 18th 
Sept., 1879, by C. Overton, keeper to Lord Stamford. It was a .fine female 
specimen : weight, 4 lbs. 2 oz. ; extreme length, 23 inches ; spread of wings, 5 ft. 
4 inches; tail, 9 inches; carpus, to tip of third primary, 18; culmen, 1'5; 
tibia, 5; tarsus, 2 '5; middle toe with claw, 2 o. Overton, who had several 
opportunities of observing it feed, saw it take several fishes with hardly a miss. 
This specimen was mounted for the late Earl of Stamford and Warrington, and is, 
I believe, now at Enville. Wesley, keeper at Bradgate, informed me that in 
Alarch, 1887, he saw a fine example at the Reservoir in Bradgate Park, and 
repeatedly saw it catch fishes. 
