Of  all  the  raptorial  birds  the  Osprey  is  the
most  aquatic  in  its  habits,  and  its  haunts  are
always  more  or  less  close  to  waters  well  stocked
with  fish.  In  our  islands  the  favourite  haunts
of  this  bird  are  the  wild  mountain  deer  forests,  the
hill-surrounded  lochs  and  quiet  lakes  studded  with
islands,  on  many  of  which  some  ancient  fortress
or  ruined  tower  tells  of  warlike  deeds  of  the  long
ago.  Although  many  of  these  secluded  Highland
waters  literally  teem  with  fish,  the  Osprey  is  far
too  rare  a  bird  to  be  seen  near  them  in  any
numbers,  an  isolated  pair  here  and  there  being
all ;  but  in  North  America,  where  the  species  is  a
much  more  abundant  one,  large  colonies  of  these
birds  may  frequently  be  met  with.  The  Osprey
reaches  its  breeding-grounds  in  Scotland  in  April
or  May.  We  have  had  few  opportunities  of
studying  this  bird  in  a  wild  state ;  but  we  can
vividly  recall  our  first  sight  of  the  Osprey  in  its
native  land,  close  to  the  head-waters  of  Loch
Carron.  The  bird  was  about  thirty  feet  above  the
water,  passing  along,  hovering  every  now  and  then


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with  quivering  wings,  alternated  with  rapid  beats,
as  is  so  often  the  way  of  our  better-known  Kestrel.
