C IT. MerriiiiH — liin/s of (\,),iitrtifii(. HO 



timber on the islaiul, and every tree contains a Kisli Hawk's n«'sl,<.f 

 from eight to ten Night Herons' nests. 'I'ln ri" is (juitc a c.h.iiy '>f 

 Night Herons there. 'VWw not being trees eiiongii fm- tlie Il.iwks 

 to nest in, many of tlii'in build on tlie ground and sumelav their eg,rs 

 in tlie sand. Tliey o('eu|)y the same nest foi- yeai-s, adding a litlh- to 

 it each seasou, till some of them, tliat were originally |>la«-ed ll;it on 

 the gi'ound, had beeome so large that T could not look into tlu-ni. 

 Many were seven feet high and measured si.\ or eight feet across the 

 top ! On the 4tli of .June I found both young birds ami iVesli ei^gs in 

 some of the nests, 'i'he Crow Blackbirds had Imilt theii- nests in 

 among the large sticks on the sides of the Fish Hawk's nests, there 

 being olten four or five of the foi-nier placed about the sides of one of 

 the latter. Besides the Fish Hawks, Night Herons, and Crow Black- 

 birds, many other birds breed upon this island, among which might 

 be mentioned the Upland and Killdeer IMovir, and large nundjers of 

 Terns."* 



The Rev. \Vm. B. O. Peabody, in 1839, tlius wrote of their habits : 

 " The Fish Hawk is on excellent terms with the iishermen, though 

 they are of the same trade. Its coming announces tlu' arrival of the 

 shoals of lish that crowd our rivers in the spring. l*erhaps its exemp- 

 tion from persecution may be owing also to its well known gentleness 

 of disposition. Unlike other birds of prey, the Fish Hawks are 

 social and friendly to each other. They come to us in flocks of eight 

 or ten, who build near each other, and rear their young in perfect 

 harmony, and this spirit of hos|)itality and kindness is extended to 

 other birds that seem to have no claim upon them. The Crow lilack- 

 birds are permitted to shelter in the intei'stices of their nests, w hich 

 are huge constructions, made of a cartload of hi-avy materials firmly 

 matted together. "f 



1 68. Aquila chrysaetUS Linne. Golden Eagle. 



A rare winter visitant. Dr. Wood informs me that it is sometimes 

 seen about Hartford, Conn. Mr. J. N. Clark, of Saybrook, Conn., 

 writes me that he sees one or two there every year, and that one 

 remained in that vicinity a week, about the middle of May hisl (1S77). 

 One was secured at Deep lliver, Conn., Nov. i;nh, IsTo, by Mr. Harry 

 Flint. Zadock Thompson stated that they sonu'tinu's live in \'erm..nl , 

 and says that " the nest is placed upon the inaccessible shelf of some 



* MS. notes of W. W. Coe. 



f Peabody's Report on the Ornithology of M;iss., p. "JOo. IS.'Jt). 

 Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. IV. Vi July, 1877. 



