C. II. Merriam — Birds of Connecticut. 89 



timber on the island, and every tree contains a Fish Hawk's nest, or 

 from eiglit to ten Night Herons' nests. There is quite a colony of 

 Night Herons there. There not l)eing trees enougli for the Hawks 

 to nest in, many of them huikl on tlie ground and some lay their eggs 

 in the sand. They occupy the same nest for years, adding a little to 

 it each season, till some of them, that were originally placed flat on 

 the ground, had become so large that I could not look into them. 

 Many were seven feet high and measured six or eight feet across the 

 top ! On the 4th of June I found both young birds and fresh eggs in 

 some of the nests. The Crow Blackbirds had built their nests in 

 among the large sticks on the sides of the Fish Hawk's nests, there 

 being often four or five of the former placed about the sides of one of 

 the latter. Besides the Fish Hawks, Night Herons, and Crow Black- 

 birds, many other birds breed uiion this island, among which might 

 be mentioned the Upland and Killdeer Plover, and large numbers of 

 Terns."* 



The llev. Wm. 1>. O. Peabody, in 1839, thus wrote of their habits : 

 " The Fish Hawk is on excellent terms with the fishermen, though 

 they are of the same trade. Its coming announces the arrival of the 

 shoals of fish that crowd our rivers in the spring. Perhaps its exemp- 

 tion from persecution may be owing also to its well known gentleness 

 of (lis])Osition. Unlike other birds of prey, the Fish Hawks are 

 social and friendly to each other. They come to us in fiocks of eight 

 or ten, who build near each other, and rear their young in perfect 

 harmony, and this spii'it of hospitality and kindness is extended to 

 other birds that seem to have no claim upon them. The Crow Black- 

 birds are permitted to shelter in the interstices of their nests, which 

 are huge constructions, made of a cartload of heavy materials firmly 

 matted together. "f 



1 68. Aquila chrysaetUS Linne. Golden Eagle. 



A rare winter visitant. Dr. Wood informs me that it is sometimes 

 seen about Hartford, Conn. Mr. J. N. Clark, of Saybrook, Conn., 

 writes me that he sees one or two there every year, and that one 

 remained in that vicinity a week, about the middle of May last (1SV7). 

 One was secured at Deep Iviver, Conn., Nov. 13th, 1875, l)y Mr. Harry 

 Flint. Zadock Thompson stated that they sometimes live in Vermont, 

 and says that " the nest is placed upon the inaccessible shelf of some 



* MS. notes of W. W. Coe. 



f Pealiorty's Report on the Ornithology of Mass., p. 265. 18:!9. 

 Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. IV. 12 July, IS"??. 



