64 
THE FISH HAWK, OR OSPREY. 
ordinary length, much rounded, extending considerably beyond the tips of 
the wings ; of twelve, broad, rounded feathers. 
Bill, cere, edge of eyebrow, iris, and feet yellow ; claws bluish-black. 
The general colour of the plumage is deep chocolate, the head, neck, tail, 
abdomen, and upper and under tail-coverts white. 
Length 34 inches ; extent of wing 7 feet ; bill along the back 21 inches, 
along the under mandible 2t, in depth l/ 5 ; tarsus 3, middle toe 3L 
ft 
Genus V.— PANDION, Sav. OSPREY. 
Bill short, as broad as deep at the base, the sides convex, the dorsal outline 
straight at the base,decurved towards the end ; upper mandible with a festoon 
on the edges at the curvature, the tip trigonal, very acute ; lower mandible 
with the edges slightly arched, the tip obtusely truncate. Nostrils oval, 
oblique, large, half way between the ridge and the cere. Legs rather long ; 
tarsus very short, remarkably thick, covered all round with hexagonal scales; 
toes also remarkably thick, the outer versatile larger than the inner, all 
scutellate only towards the end, and covered beneath with prominent, 
conical, acuminate scales ; claws long, curved, convex beneath, tapering to a 
fine point. Plumage compact, imbricated ; feathers of the head and neck 
narrow, acuminate ; of the tarsus short and very narrow, without the 
elongated external tufts seen in all the other genera. Tail rather long, a 
little rounded. Intestine extremely long and slender, its greatest width 
2i twelfths, the smallest h twelfth. 
THE FISH HAWK, OR OSPREY. 
Pandion Haliaetus, Savig. 
PLATE XV.— Male. 
The habits of this famed bird differ so materially from those of almost all 
others of its genus, that an accurate description of them cannot fail to be 
highly interesting to the student of nature. 
The Pish Hawk may be looked upon as having more of a social disposition 
than most other Hawks. Indeed, with the exception of the bwallow-tailed 
.Hawk ( Falco furcatus ), I know none so gregarious in its habits. It migrates 
