804 WILD SCENES AND SONG-BIRDS. 



greatest collection of them at the mouth of the Brazos river, 

 of Texas. Twenty or thirty of them are constantly congre- 

 gated at this place, during the spring months, to feed upon 

 the great shoals of the luscious red fish which then make 

 their appearanee lien'; though otherwise a barren and un- 

 couth spot it is, constantly enlivened by the aerial gambols 

 of these powerful and graceful flighted birds, and many's 

 the battle between them and the Bald Eagle that I have wit- 

 nessed among the clouds at this place. They seemed to 

 have formed a sort of colony for mutual protection, and the 

 moment their foe, the eagle, made his appearance among 

 them theerv of alarm was raised, and the vigilant eolonists, 

 hurrying from all quarters, attacked the robber without hesi- 

 tation, and always succeeded in driving him away. 



There was always a desperate battle first before the savage 

 monarch could bo routed, and I have seen them gathered 

 about him in such numbers whirling and tumbling amidst 

 a chaos of floating feathers through the air that it was im- 

 possible for a time to distinguish which was the eagle, until 

 having got enough of it amidst such fearful odds, he would 

 fain turn tail, and with most undignified acceleration of 

 1 light, would dart toward the covert of the heavy forest to 

 hide his baffled royalty and shako off his pertinacious foes 

 amidst the boughs, as do the smaller hawks when teased by 

 the little King-birds. I was told by the residents of Valas- 

 co, at the mouth, who from sympathy with the Fish-Hawks 

 seemed to greatly relish the scenes that year after year the 

 eagles made persevering attempts to obtain a lodgment in the 

 neighborhood of this colony, but were always promptly re- 

 pulsed and finally driven off! This, therefore, formed a 

 secure breeding-place as well as feeding-ground for these mild 

 and amiable birds. There wore several of their nests in I 'nil 

 view of the river, and many more, I was told, in the sur- 

 rounding forest. 



These birds possess many traits of gentle loyalty which 



