40 ACCIPITRES. 



liaiisted, and its strength fails it — it is almost at its last 

 gasp, when its ferocious pursuer strikes with his claws 

 the under side of its wing, and witli unresisted power 

 forces the bird to fall in a slanting direction upon the 

 nearest shore. And now the Eagle presses down his 

 jiowerful feet, and drives his talons deep into the heart 

 of the dying Swan — lie shrieks with delight as he feels 

 the last convulsions of his prey, and the female who has 

 watched every movement of her mate, now sails to the 

 spot to participate in the gory banquet." — [Audabon.) 



The nest of these birds is of considerable size, and 

 composed of the branches of trees and sticks. The eggs 

 are white, and two in number. 



The Ospreys {Pandion"'')^ more commonly known as 

 the Fish-Hawks, only reside in the vicinity of the sea, 

 or of lakes and rivers abounding with fish, tipon which 

 they principally subsist. Their slender form is admi- 

 rably adapted to this pursuit, and their strong talons 

 enable them to seize with a firm grasp their scaly and 

 slippery prey. Their flight is heavy but easy, and they 

 fly equally well either in a straight Ime or in circles high 

 in the air, where they may be seen wheeling round and 

 round, apparently without the least exertion, and rarely 

 even moving their wings. 



A rencontre between the Fish-Hawk and the Sea- 

 Eagle, so eloquently described by Wilson, equally illus- 

 trates the habits of Iboth these tyrants of the sky. 



" Elevated on the high dead limb of some gigantic 

 tree that commands a wide view of the neighbouring 

 shore and ocean, the Sea-Eagle seems calmly to con- 

 template the motions of the various feathered tribes that 

 pursue their avocations below; the snow-white Gulls 

 slowly winnowing the air ; the busy Sand-pipers coursing 

 along the sands ; trains of Ducks streaming over the sur- 

 face ; silent and watchful Cranes intent and wading ; 

 clamorous Crows, and all the winged multitudes that 

 subsist by the bounty of this vast magazine of nature. 

 High over all there hovers one whose action instantly 

 arrests his whole attention. By his wide curvature of 

 wing and sudden suspension in air, he knows him to be 

 the Fish-Hawk settling over some devoted victim in the 



* The name of a king of Athens. 



