THE FISH-HAWK. 135 



at this time, the old birds seem in much distress, and 

 litter a plaintive cry, at the same time taking wing, 

 and sailing around the nest. Sometimes, also, they 

 dive down, as though to attack the person, but usually 

 mount up again without coming very near him. In 

 some instances, however, they have, been known to 

 attack persons who have climbed up to their nest, and 

 to wound them in a terrible manner. 



The actions of this bird during a fishing excursion, 

 and the manner in which he seizes his prey, are quite 

 interesting. When he leaves his nest on such an oc- 

 casion, he goes directly to the fishing ground, flying in 

 a straight line, and' not very high in the air. Having 

 come to the water, he rises two hundred feet or more 

 into the air, and sails elegantly and slowly along, 

 eyeing the face of the deep, in search of his game. 

 Suddenly he stops, to survey more particularly any 

 fish that he happens to see, but generally glides along 

 again in a moment or two. Again . he stops, and bal- 

 ancing himself by flapping his wings, looks intently 

 into the water, now and then rising or sinking a little, 

 as if to obtain a better view of his object. Having 

 taken his aim, he now descends from his great height, 

 with the swiftness of a leaden bullet, and plunging into 

 the water with a loud rustling sound, buries himself 

 for a moment under its surface. He then rises, with 

 his struggling prey hanging on his claws, and when a 

 few feet high, stops and flutters to shake the water 

 from him, which flies in the form of spray in every 

 direction, Having thus prepared himself for his 

 flight, he shapes his course directly for the land, and 

 quietly eats his fish, sitting on the limb of a dry tree, or 

 carries it to his young. 



