238 THE PICKIETAR FISHING. CHAP. xn. 



off from a party of five, and direct his course towards 

 the shore, fishing all the way as he came. It was an 

 interesting sight to behold him as he approached in 

 his flight, at one moment rising, at another de- 

 scending, now poised in mid-air, his wings expanded 

 but motionless, his piercing eye directed to the 

 waters beneath, and watching with eager gaze the 

 movements of their scaly inhabitants, and now, as 

 one of them would ever and anon come sufficiently 

 near the surface, making his attack upon the fish 

 in the manner so thoroughly taught him by nature. 

 Quick as thought he closed to his side his outspread 

 pinions ; turned off his equilibrium with a movement 

 almost imperceptible ; and, with a seeming care- 

 lessness, threw himself headlong into the deep so 

 rapidly that the eye could with difficulty keep 

 pace with his descent. In the least space of time he 

 would be seen sitting on the water, swallowing his 

 prey. This being accomplished, he again mounted 

 into the air. He halts in his progress. Something 

 has caught his eye. He lets himself down ; but 

 it is only for a little, for his expected prey has 

 vanished from his sight. 



" Once more he soars aloft on lively wing ; and 

 having attained a certain elevation, and hovering 

 kestrel-like for a little with quick repeated strokes of 

 his pinions, he rapidly descends. Again, however, 

 his hoped-for victim has made its escape ; and he 

 bounds away in an oblique direction, describing a 



