222 



the Susquehanna river and about some of the larger 

 lakes in the noitheastern sectio-ns of the State. 



A GOOD P'lSUKHMAN. 



During the spring, summer and aulunm months- 

 these hawks, generally singly, but sometimes in pairs, 

 if not disturbed, will regularly visit mill dams and fish 

 ponds where the}^ can secure their finny prey. 



Hon. Hiram Peoples, of New Providence, Lancaster 

 county, who devotes much attention to lish culture, 

 laising large quantities of bass and gold-fish for the 

 markets, informs me he loses a great many fish from 

 visits of the Fish Hawk. In fact, he says the depreda- 

 tions of these hawks became so numerous that he of- 

 fered a bounty of fifty cents each for every one which 

 was killed on his premises. 



Kingfishers also annoy Mr. Peo[»les by stealing his 

 lish, but he easily disposes of lliese unwelcome visitors 

 by set-ting steel traps on stakes or posts about his 

 ponds. Last year he caught, by this means, twenty- 

 four kingfishers. 



THEY LIVE ON FISH. 



The writer has examined the stomach contents of 

 twenty-three of these hawks captured in Pennsylvania, 

 Xew Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Florida, 

 and found only the remains of different species of fish. 

 It may be, as some writers assert, that the Fish Hawk 

 when breeding subsists in part on reptiles and batra- 

 chians; however my opinion is that these birds never 

 touch other food unless they are unable to catch fish. 

 The Osprey. as this hawk is often called, does not, as 

 some farmers believe, disturb domestic fowls, nor does 

 it molest wild birds. Trrackles sometimes Imild their 

 nests in the interstices of the ('(immodious nest of the 

 rish Hawk. 



