88 OSPREY— FISH HAWK. 



rapids, and appears to delight particularly in rocky situations. 

 Immediately upon its arrival in Canada it may be observed in 

 the neighborhood of our great lakes, actively engaged in selecting 

 a nesting site. This is almost invariably in a tree, situated in an 

 open and conspicuous position. An old nest is often re-occupied, 

 and when necessary, repaired. It is constructed of long sticks, 

 moss, grass, roots, and wrack collected from the lake shores. I 

 have met with this bird abundantly on each of our expeditions, not 

 only in the valleys of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers, but as 

 well throughout the intermediate country, and in the mountains to 

 the north of the last mentioned river." I have already alluded 

 to this bird in my account of the Bald Eagle, and may here simply 

 add that it is met with in the same regions as the latter. In the 

 McKenzie River district it is also common, and extends to the 

 Arctic coast. It, however, does not appear to breed on the " Barren 

 Grounds " north of the Churchill ;.and Richardson did not observe 

 it during his coasting voyage along the shores of the Arctic sea. 

 Pennant informs us that it is abundant in Kamtschatka, and it is 

 probably equally so on the Pacific coast of North America. Thus 

 being likewise found on the Labrador coast, its range may ba 

 given as across the entire continent, from ocean to ocean. It is 

 rather a timid and retiring bird, but is able to defend its eyry with 

 great spirit, and when wounded is anything but an easy bird to 

 handle. It never feeds on carrion ; indeed Wilson goes so far as 

 .to state — " It is singular that the Hawk (Osprey) never descends 

 to pick up a fish which he happens to drop, either on the land 

 or on the water. There is a kind of abstemious dignity in this 

 habit of the Hawk, superior to the gluttonous voracity displayed 

 by most other birds of prey, particularly the Bald Eagle, whose 

 piratical robberies committed on the present species have been 

 already fully detailed in treating of his history." But, alas ! for this 

 " abstemious dignity," it is not supported by fact. The Fish Hawk 

 will descend after a fish when he has dropped it — which he seldom 

 does, however^and takes good care that his second grasp is more 

 secure than the first. He will even condescend to pick up a stray 

 fish wounded, or dead, which may happen to attract his keen eye, 

 as it floats, white side uppermost, down the stream. On one 



