FISH HAWK 153 



white crest. We landed, and got nearer by stealing 

 through the woods. His legs looked long as he stood 

 up on the limb with his back to us, and his body looked 

 black against the sky and by contrast with the wliite 

 of his head. There was a dark stripe on the side of the 

 head. He had got the fish under his feet on the limb, 

 and would bow his head, snatch a mouthful, and then 

 look hastily over his right shoulder in our direction, 

 then snatch another mouthful and look over his left 

 shoulder. At length he launched off and flapped heavily 

 away. We found at the bottom of the water beneath 

 where he sat numerous fragments of the fish he had 

 been eating, parts of the fins, entrails, gills, etc., and 

 some was dropped on the bough. From one fin which 

 I examined, I judged that it was either a sucker or a 

 pout. There were small leeches adhering to it. 



In the meanwhile, as we were stealing through the 

 woods, we heard the pleasing note of the pine warbler, 

 bringing back warmer weather, and we heard one honk 

 of a goose, and, looking up, saw a large narrow har- 

 row of them steering northeast. Half a mile further we 

 saw another fish hawk, upon a dead limb midway up a 

 swamp white oak over the water, at the end of a small 

 island. We paddled directly toward him till within 

 thirty rod^. A crow came scolding to the tree and lit 

 within three feet, looking about as large, compared 

 with the hawk, as a crow blackbird to a crow, but he 

 paid no attention to him. We had a very good view 

 of him, as he sat sideways to us, and of his eagle-shaped 

 head and beak. The white feathers of his head, which 

 were erected somewhat, made him look like a copple- 



