192 THE SECOND BOOK OF BIRDS 
the fish hawk gets his food is to dive for it. He 
hovers over the water till he sees a fish near the 
surface that suits him. Then he closes his wings 
and dives like a shot. He plunges in often 
over his head, and seizes the fish in his claws 
or talons. Then he rises, and shaking off the 
water flies toward his family, with their dinner. 
But then appears the robber, the bald eagle, 
I’m sorry to say, who prefers stealing his food 
to hunting for himself. He rushes furiously at 
the fish hawk, who is obliged to drop his load to 
defend himself. Then the eagle seizes it, often 
before it reaches the ground, and flies off, while 
the osprey goes back to his fishing. 
But the osprey is learning something, like the 
rest of the birds. On the shore of New Jersey 
there is a place where men fish with great nets, 
and bring in hundreds of fish every day. The 
birds have noted how much better men are at 
their trade of fishing than they are. So they 
have thought out an easier way to get food than 
to dive for it. Perhaps they got the hint from 
the eagle. | 
Wherever the fish hawks got the idea, it is 
now the common custom for them to sit on the 
poles that hold the net and wait. When it is 
drawn up filled with flopping fish, each bird dives 
down and secures one for himself. And he takes 
