BRITISH ZOOLOGISTS. 131 



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 large 

 heap of wet salt materials of which the nest is usually 

 composed. I ascended to several of these nests that 

 had been built in from year to year, and found them 

 constructed 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 

 three or four 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 be no inconsiderable load for a 

 horse .... About the first of May, the female fish- 

 hawk begins to lay her eggs, which are 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 

 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 

 the Great Egg Harbour River, near its mouth, was noted 

 for several years. The female, having but one leg, 

 was regularly furnished, while sitting, with fish in such 



