BIRDS OF NEW YORK WJ 



of the Adirondacks, where it continues to breed but yearly becomes rarer 

 and rarer on account of the relentless persecution of thoughtless tourists 

 and campers. Along the Hudson, the Great Lakes, and the Central Chain 

 its history as a breeding species has been the same as that of the Bald 

 eagle. One by one the Fish hawk trees have disappeared until now the 

 author knows of no breeding station in the State except as mentioned above. 

 As a migrant, however, the Fish hawk is frequently seen over all our inland 

 waters from March 25 to May 15 in springtime, and from August 20 to 

 October 25 in autumn. 



The food of this species consists almost entirely of fish. Occasionally 

 frogs and other aquatic animals are taken but, although I have watched 

 this unequaled fisherman on numberless occasions, hawking, soaring or 

 hovering over lakes and rivers and flooded marshes, and even mill ponds, 

 and have seen him as often splash feet foremost into the water with almost 

 unerring aim, I have never seen him rise with any prey but a fish in his 

 powerful talons, nor have I ever taken any food but fish from the stomach 

 of an Osprey. Like other fishermen the Osprey prefers fish of large size 

 and, it is said, occasionally fastens its claws into prey of such size that he 

 is unable to rise with it or to loosen his talons, and perishes as the result 

 of his eagerness. Mr Addison P. Wilbur relates an interesting story of 

 his boyhood experience on Barnegat bay. While returning home after 

 a day of unusually bad fortune, just as he was passing over a rise of ground 

 he perceived a Fish hawk coming directly toward him and struggling under 

 a heavy load. Concealing himself behind a low bush he awaited its approach 

 and, just as the hawk was directly overhead, he sprang into the air with 

 a loud shout and threw his hat, when the Osprey dropped its fish in con- 

 fusion and flew away uttering its shrill, rapidly repeated whistle of complaint. 

 My friend, on picking up the fish, found it a fine squeteague or weakfish 

 weighing nearly 4 pounds. 



The evil which the Osprey might do by destroying food fish is mini- 

 mized by the fact that it can not take fish from deep below the surface 

 and consequently feeds mostly on species which prefer the warmer waters 



