28 



THE OSPKEY. 



trees near the swamp. Almost daily a Hock of 

 Crows from Connecticut were accustomed to rob 

 tlii—. heronry, covering the ground with the 

 shells of tlie eggs they had eaten, and occasion- 

 ally treating a lew Fishhawks' nests in the 

 same way. The Fishhawks seemed to unjustly 

 accuse the Herons of the robbery, as the Herons 

 wen- constantly persecuted by the Hawks. 

 Whenever a Heron appeared he was instantly 

 set upon by one or more of them, and the Heron 

 would seek safety in the thick underbrush where 

 the Hawks could not follow them. Herons were 

 killed, however, almost daily by the Hawks". 



The Osprey, it has been claimed, may even 

 under very exceptional circumstances, attack 

 for food and eat other birds or chickens, as will 

 be recorded under the section in which its food 

 is considered. 



FLIGHT. 



The Osprey is one of the best known of birds. 

 Its abundance in many places, large size, con- 

 spicuous appearance, and manner of flight have 

 attracted the attention of all observant residents 

 of the sea shore and river basins. Its behaviour 



length, and curvature or bend of wings, distin- 

 guishing hiin from all other Hawks. The 

 height at which he thus elegantly glides is 

 various, from one hundred to one hundred and 

 fifty and two hundred feet, sometimes much 

 higher, all the while calmly reconnoitering the 

 face of the deep below. Suddenly he is seen to 

 check his course, as if struck by a particular 

 object which he seems to survey for a few mo- 

 ments with such steadiness, that he appears 

 lixed in air. flapping his wings. This object, 

 however, he abandons, or rather the fish he had 

 in his eye has disappeared, and he is again seen 

 sailing around as before. Now his attention is 

 again arrested, and he descends with great 

 rapidity: but ere he reaches the surface, shoots 

 off on another course, as if ashamed that a 

 second victim had escaped him. He now sails 

 at a short height above the surface, and by a 

 zigzag descent, and without seeming to dip his 

 feet in the water, seizes a fish, which, after car- 

 rying a short distance, he probably drops or 

 yields up to the Bald Eayle. and again ascends, 

 by easy spiral circles, to the higher regions of 

 the air. where he glides about in all the ease 

 and majesty of his species. At once from this 



OSPREY IX FLIGHT. 



in the air is characteristic, anil has been well 

 described by Alexander Wilson. 



"The flight of the Fishhawk, his manoeuvres 

 while in search of fish, ami his manner in seiz- 

 ing his prey are deserving of particular notice. 

 In leaving the nest, he usually Hies direct till 

 he comes to the sea, then sails around, in easy 

 curving lines, turning sometimes in the air as 

 on a pivot, apparently without the least exer- 

 tion, rarely moving the wings, his legs extended 

 in a straight line behind, and his remarkable 



sublime aerial height, he descends like a perpen- 

 dicular torrent, plunging into the sea with a 

 loud rushing sound, and with the certainty of a 

 ride. In a few moments he emerges, bearin g 

 in his claws his struggling prey, which he 

 always carries head foremost, and, having risen 

 a few feet above the surface, shakes himself as a 

 spaniel would do, and directs his heavy and 

 laborious course directly for the land." 



( To be Continued.) 



