374 LAXD-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS 



coarse materials. It is built in a tree, near some bod}' of 

 water, sometimes several being near together. It is plaeed at 

 various heights above the ground, but often near the top, even 

 of a dead tree. In New England, two, three, or four eggs are 

 laid about the first of May, or sometimes later. Thej'^ average 

 2*40 X 1'70 of an inch, and are usually creamy, butf, or red- 

 dish, thiclil}^ spotted and blotched with rich brown of several 

 shades, some of Avhich are dark and others reddish. Occasion- 

 ally the eggs are white, with a few large markings of umber- 

 brown. 



(c). The Fish Hawks, like their tormentors the "Bald" 

 Eagles, are summer-residents in Florida, Arctic countries, and 

 the lands between, but, unlike them, are very migratory, and 

 do not winter in New England, where from April until late in 

 the autumn they are common. They are rare, however, in 

 Massachusetts, except during the migrations, and are said to 

 breed no longer along the coast of this State, though a few 

 undoubtedly do so in the interior, of which I have had satis- 

 factory evidence. They are ever3'where most numerous on the 

 sea-shore (as is observable in Maine), but they also resort to 

 the neighborhood of rivers and large inland bodies of water. 

 They are everywhere characterized by their sociability and af- 

 fection, their perseverance and industry. They are well known 

 frequently to migrate and build their nests in companies, to 

 remain mated for life, and to feed their young longer, even 

 more abundantly, than any other hawks. Though repeatedly 

 robbed by the tyrannical eagles, they continue to fish undis- 

 he'artened, and are said never to feed in any other way. 



Their method of obtaining their prey is so interesting, that 

 were it not known even to children, from being frequently de- 

 scribed in books, it would daily excite wonder. It cannot, 

 however, fail to hold the attention of any one who may see it 

 for the first Cime, and I have never looked upon one of these 

 birds without instinctively watching his motions. The flight 

 of the Fish Hawk is much varied, but he may always be recog- 

 nized by the prominent bend of his wings. When traveling 

 directly forward, he flies with rather heavy flappings, not un- 



