THE OSPREYS. 
I15 
sometimes on the topmost branches, flattened by its weight, 
more rarely at a distance of ten or twelve feet from the ground 
on one of the broad-spreading limbs. But, when the Osprey’s 
nest is on ruins, it is often at a far less elevation, and when 
built on rocky islands, it is not unfrcqucntly but a few feet 
from the ground, built amongst the grey lichens and tufts of 
polypody fern. On the southern shores of the Baltic, north of 
Stettin, surrounding the inland lakes which form the delta of 
the Oder, are vast forests which form a perfect paradise for the 
Osprey. T^onely forests within easy access of fresh- water lakes 
are the favourite breeding-places of this bird. He generally 
selects the loftiest tree in the forest, his main object being 
apparently to be able to rise at once from the nest without 
being incommoded by the branches of trees. Thus it often 
happens that the nest is visible at the distance of a mile. The 
structure is enormously large, and from three to four feet in 
diameter, and occasionally as high. It is usually placed upon 
the summit of a pine-tree, one having a dead top being pre- 
ferred. At the outside it extends so far over the branches that 
it is very often difficult to reach. The foundation is made of 
branches intermixed with decaying vegetable matter and sods ; 
the upper surface is flat, and consists of finer twigs covered 
over with green and dry grass, the eggs being laid in a slight 
hollow in the middle, not more than a foot across, and scarcely 
two inches deep.” 
Eggs. — The eggs of the Osprey are among the most beautiful 
of all of the Birds of Prey, and arc very finely marked as a 
rule. The ground-colour is white, which is sometimes entirely 
hidden by the red or purjfie blotches which congregate at the 
larger end of the egg. Those wdth large blotches of colour 
are the commonest and at the same time the most handsome, 
for occasionally the markings are much smaller, and take the 
form of spots, streaks, and marblings, which are distributed 
over the whole surface. Axis, 2'35-2'6 inches; diam., 17- I'p. 
I 2 
