HAWKING 241 



is the very much larger and heavier rough-legged 

 hawk already described, a bird of a different 

 build. The general coloration of the marsh 

 hawk varies from a beautiful rufous brown in 

 the female and immature to a light pearl blue in 

 the adult male. 



A huge bird with snow-white head and tail is 

 none other than a bald eagle, but, as the im- 

 mature birds lack the white and are uniform 

 brown in color, one is obliged in their case to de- 

 pend on the great size and general appearance. 

 The fish hawk or osprey is easily recognized as it 

 is the only large hawk that is dark above and 

 white below. With glasses one can generally 

 make out the white line over the eye. If it indul- 

 ges in its usual spectacular occupation of hovering 

 over the water, and dropping with a splash, a child 

 of three may identify it. If the plunge is suc- 

 cessful, the fish is born aloft and carried in the 

 talons with head pointing forward. 



All hawks may delight the eye by soaring in 

 circles, sometimes to such a great height that 

 they are mere specks in the sky. Sometimes they 

 flap their wings at certain parts of the circle. 



