EAGLE. 



365 



rarely met with in this country, residing chiefly near 

 water, especially large rivers and lakes, and feeding 

 principally on fish, which it catches with great eager- 

 ness, and on which it pounces with astonishing 

 rapidity, sometimes plunging two feet under the sur- 

 face of the water, carrying off its captive, and devour- 

 ing it at leisure at some distance. In the breeding 

 season, it is frequently seen about the Lake of Kil- 

 larney, in Ireland. It is found in most of the coun- 

 tries of Europe, from Sweden to Greece, and is very 

 common in Siberia, where the inhabitants foolishly 

 believe that a single scratch of its talons is highly 

 poisonous. It has been, moreover, ascertained to 

 inhabit Egypt, Nigritia, Barbary, and Louisiana. 

 These birds are almost always observed in pairs, 

 except during the prevalence of severe frost, when 

 the waters are congealed, and when they usually 

 separate in quest of milder skies. During the spring 

 and summer months, the bald buzzard frequently is 

 seen hovering over the large rivers in America, or 

 resting on the wing for several minutes at a time, then 

 suddenly darting down and seldom emerging without 

 a fish in its talons. It then shakes off the water, like 

 a mist, and shapes its course to the woods. The fol- 

 lowing is Wilson's very graphic description of this 

 bird as it appears on the American waters, where, 

 from the deep embayment of the shores, and the vast 

 extent of broad waters, it is a highly interesting bird. 

 " The fish-hawk is migratory, arriving on the coasts 

 of New York and New Jersey, about the twenty- 

 second of September. Heavy equinoctial storms may 

 vary these periods of arrival and departure a few days, 

 but long observation has ascertained that they are 

 kept with remarkable regularity. On the arrival of 

 these birds in the northern parts of the United States, 

 in March, they sometimes find the bays and ponds 

 frozen, and experience a difficulty in procuring fish 

 for many days. Yet there is no instance on record 

 of their attacking birds, or inferior land animals, with 

 intent to feed on them ; though their great strength 

 of flight, as well as of feet and claws, would seem to 

 render this no difficult matter. But they no sooner 

 arrive, than they wage war on the bald eagles, as 

 against a horde of robbers and banditti ; sometimes 

 succeeding, by force of numbers and perseverance, in 

 driving them from their haunts, but seldom or never 

 attacking them in single combat. 



'' The first appearance of the fish-hawk in spring, is 

 welcomed by the fishermen, as the happy signal of 

 the approach of those vast shoals of herring, shad, &c. 

 that regularly arrive on our coasts, and enter our 

 rivers in such prodigious multitudes. Two of a trade, 

 it is said, seldom agree ; the adage, however, will not 

 hold good in the present case, for such is the respect 

 paid the fish-hawk, not only by this class of men, but 

 generally by the whole neighbourhood where it re- 

 sides, that a person who should attempt to shoot one 

 of them, would stand a fair chance of being insulted. 

 This prepossession in favour of the fish-hawk is 

 honourable to their feelings. They associate with its 

 first appearance, ideas of plenty, and all the gaiety ol 

 business , they see it active and industrious like them- 

 selves ; inoffensive to the productions of their farms ; 

 building with confidence, and without the least dispo- 

 sition to concealment, in the middle of their fields, 

 and along their fences ; and returning, year after year 

 regularly to its former abode. 



" The nest of the fish-hawk is usually built on the 

 top of a dead or decaying tree, sometimes not more 



han fifteen, often upwards of fifty, feet from the 

 ground. It has been remarked by the people of the 

 sea coasts, that the most thriving tree will die in a few 

 years after being taken possession of by the fish-hawk. 

 This is attributed to the fish-oil, and to the excrements 

 of the bird ; but is more probably occasioned by the 

 arge heap of wet salt materials of which the nest is 

 usually composed. In my late excursions to the sea 

 shore, I ascended to several of these nests, that had 

 been built in from year to year, and found them con- 

 structed as follows : Externally, large sticks, from 

 half an inch to an inch and a half in diameter, and 

 two or three feet in length, piled to the height of four 

 or five feet, and from two to three feet in breadth , 

 these were intermixed with corn stalks, sea-weed, 

 pieces of wet turf, in large quantities, mullein stalks, 

 and lined with dry sea-grass ; the whole forming a 

 mass very observable at half a mile's distance, and 

 large enough to fill a cart, and form no inconsiderable 

 load for a horse. These materials are so well put 

 together, as often to adhere, in large fragments, after 

 being blown down by the wind. About the first of 

 May, the female fish-hawk begins to lay her eggs, 

 which arc commonly three in number, sometimes only 

 two, and rarely four. They are somewhat larger than 

 those of the common hen, and nearly of the same 

 shape. The ground colour varies, in different eggs, 

 from a reddish cream, to nearly a white, splashed and 

 daubed all over with dark Spanish brown, as if done 

 by art. During the time. the female is sitting, the 

 male frequently supplies her with fish ; though she 

 occasionally takes a short circuit to sea herself, but 

 quickly returns again. The attention of the male, on 

 such occasions, is regulated by the circumstances of 

 the case. A pair of these birds on the south side of 

 Great Egg Harbour river, and near its mouth, were 

 noted for several years. The female, having but one 

 leg, was regularly furnished, while sitting, with fish 

 in such abundance, that she seldom left the nest, and 

 never to seek for food. This kindness was continued 

 both before and after incubation. Some animals who 

 claim the name and rationality of man, might blush 

 at the recital of this fact. 



" On the appearance of the young, which is usually 

 about the last of June, the zeal and watchfulness of 

 the parents are extreme. They stand guard, and go 

 off to fish, alternately ; one parent being always within 

 a short distance of the nest. On the near approach 

 of any person, the hawk utters a plaintive whistling 

 note, which becomes shriller as she takes to wing, and 

 sails around, sometimes making a rapid descent, as if 

 aiming directly for you ; but checking her course, and 

 sweeping past, at a short distance over head, her wings 

 making a loud whizzing in the air. My worthy friei|d, 

 Mr. Gardiner, informs me, that they have even been 

 known to fix their claws in a negro's head, who was 

 attempting to climb to their nest ; and I had lately a 

 proof of their daring spirit in this way, through the 

 kindness of a friend, resident for a few weeks at 

 Great Egg Harbour. I had requested of him the 

 favour to transmit me, if possible, a live fish-hawk, for 

 the purpose of making a drawing of it, which commis- 

 sion he very faithfully executed ; and I think I cannot 

 better illustrate this part of the bird's character than 

 by quoting his letter at large. Beasley's, Great Egg 

 Harbour, 30th June, 1811. Sir Mr. Beazley and" I 

 went to reconnoitre a fish-hawk's nest on Thursday 

 afternoon. When I was at the nest, I was struck 

 with so great violence on the crown of the hat, that I 



