320 AMERICAN GAME FISHES. 



had a vigorous snatch at it, and hooked a stout and active 

 fish, which made for its hole. By main strength I got it 

 into open water, and after five minutes play, I had it along- 

 side, when P. put the landing-net under it — a four-pound 

 Mangrove-snapper. 



"I want the scientific name of this fish, if you can give it 

 to me, professor," said I. 



"When we get home I will examine it with the help of 

 Jordan's book." 



"Oh! professor, do you see that fish-hawk.^ He has just 

 caught a Mullet; now there is an eagle on the dead pine on 

 yonder island that's watching the hawk, and you will see the 

 rascal rob the poor hawk directly." 



The osprey caught his fish, and was flying away with it, 

 when the eagle sailed from his perch in pursuit. When the 

 osprey found itself overtaken, it uttered a scream and dropped 

 the fish, and the eagle stooped and caught it before it struck 

 the water. The osprey went off to look for another Mullet. 



"There," said the professor, "is what the books have been 

 telling us from the time of Doctor Franklin, but eagles are 

 scarce at the north and we seldom see that robbery; here it 

 can be seen every day." 



"Do the eagles themselves ever dive for fish.^" 



P.: "Not often; they make the fish-hawks do that work; 

 though when I catch Mullet in the fall for salting, and have 

 a big pile of them on the beach, the eagles will come and 

 steal them." 



Judge: "How did this eagle get its common name of bald 

 eagle.' its head is as well covered as yours, professor, though 

 much whiter." 



Professor: "I suppose that some early observer seeing the 

 white head from afar, took it for a bald head, and so reported 

 it. An error, once started, has great vitality, and the news- 

 paper writers, many of whom perhaps never saw an eagle, 

 kept on calling it bald. Naturalists however, have named it 



