Ospray (Hastings' Dictionary)

The name of an unclean bird (Lv 11%, Dt 14"). It is pretty certainly Pandion halizetus, L. It is somewhat rare, and found along the coast and in the Hfleh marshes. Its food is fish, which it catches by poising above the water until it fixes an exact perpendicular over its victim, and then dropping suddenly into the water, from which it generally rises with the fish in its claws. Like other fish-eating birds it is seldom used as food for man, and would naturally be counted unclean. G. E. Post.

OSSIFRAGE (015 peres, γύψ, gyps), RV ‘gier eagle.’—The etymology ‘ breaker’ (075), correspond- ing to ossifrage (‘bone-breaker,’ from the Lat.), strengthens the claim of the tr® of AV. As the bird is mentioned only twice (Lv 114%, Dt 1413), we have no side-light from Scripture to help us. The ossifrage is the Lammergeier, Gypxtus barbatus, L. It is one of the largest of the vultures, being 4 ft. 6 in. long. It is known in Arab. as δία) or nisr. It is not numerous in Pal.

, but generally diffused. Tristram says that there is a pair in nearly every wady. Its name is derived from its habit of carrying tortoises and bones in its claws to a height, and dropping them on to a rock to break them, in order to get at their contents. It also preys on lambs, kids, hares, and serpents. It often catches its prey by pushing it off from a cliff. It has been known to attack men in this situation.

The male has a black beard, pencilled upper and tawny lower plumage, and blood-red OSTRICH eyes. Itis diffused throughout the mountains of northern Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. It breeds on inaccessible cliffs. The female lays one egg, which is hatched in February. G. E. Post.