THE FISH-HAWK. 57 



To, ho, my hearts ! let's seek the deep, 



Ply every oar, and cheerly wish her, 

 Still as the bending net we sweep, 



' God bless the Fish-hawk and the fisher ! ' 



She rears her young on yonder tree ; 



She leaves her faithful mate to mind 'em ; 

 Like us, for fish, she sails to sea, 

 And, plunging, shows us where to find 'em. 

 Yo, ho, my hearts ! let's seek the deep, 

 Ply every oar, and cheerly wish her, 

 While the slow-bending net we sweep, 

 ' God bless the Fish-hawk and the fisher ! ' " 



ALEXANDER WILSON. 



The common and well-known bird which furnishes the 

 theme of the above beautiful verses is a summer inhabitant 

 of New England along the whole coast, and in the neighbor- 

 hood of large sheets of water. The males arrive from the 

 south about the middle of April, and the females about a 

 week later. I believe that the same pair are constant to 

 each other for several years: those that commence their 

 matrimonial career in the spring usually mate about the 

 first week in May, in our latitude. The movements of 

 the male, while paying court to the female, are interesting; 

 and, as Audubon has described them better than I can 

 myself, I will give his description : 



" As soon as the females make their appearance, which happens 

 eight or ten days after the arrival of the males, the love-season 

 commences, and, soon after, incubation takes place. The loves of 

 these birds are conducted in a different way from those of the 

 other falcons. The males are seen playing through the air amongst 

 themselves, chasing each other in sport, or sailing by the side or 

 after the female which they have selected, uttering cries of joy 

 and exultation, alighting on the branches of the tree on which 

 their last year's nest is yet seen remaining, and doubtless congratu- 

 lating each other on finding their home again. Their caresses are 

 mutual. They begin to augment their habitation, or to repair the 

 injuries which it may have sustained during the winter, and are 



