THE AMERICAN OSPREY 
BV 
ITARRY S. HATHAWAY. 
The Osprey or Tisli hawk is one of the most characteristic 
and conspicuous birds about Narragansett Bay and its shores, 
and may well be called our best loved bird. Protected by law, 
as it has been in no other state in the Union, for nearly fifty 
years, they have found a congenial home here for the rearing 
of their young and are well protected by the residents on 
whose estates they may have selected some tree for their nesting 
site. 
‘‘Uistinguished as it is from all other diurnal birds of prey 
by the versatility of the outer toes, which in a state of rest may 
be carried forward as in the Falcons, but when a fish is captured, 
the toes are generally thrown backwards so that the prey is 
secured by the claws ranked in opposite pairs.” 
The sexes are alike in size and plumage, measuring about 
two feet in length, and four and one-half feet from tip to tip 
of wings. 
Above, tbe plumage is dark Vandyke brown with more or 
less white edging on the feathers, which becomes more pro¬ 
nounced as the bird ages. 
Head, neck and under parts white with a slight shading 
of tawny; the crown and a broad stripe that passes from back 
of either eye to the nape, blackish. Tail dark brown with dusky 
bars, white tip and shafts. 
Its classical name Pandion was given to it by Savigny in 
1809 for no obvious reason—simply to distinguish the group 
from others, while the specific name haliaetus is derived from 
the Greek, meaning sea-eagle. The subspecific name, carolin- 
