188 NORTU AilEUICAN BIPDS. 



Mr. Allen reports this species as abundant everywhere in Florida, and as 

 especially so around the lakes of the I'pjter St. .Iolin.>j, wliere it conuiumces 

 ncstiny in January. At LaUi^ .Monroe ho counted si.x nests from a ,sinj,de 

 l)oint of view, it is said by lisht'rnien to occur on the coast of Lalirador, 

 but it is not cited as found there by Mr. Auduljon, nor is it so yiven liy Dr. 

 Coucs, It is, however, very connnon on the coast of Nova Scotia, breeding 

 in the vicinity of most of the liarbors. It is given by Mr. IJoardnian as 

 c(mmion near ('alais, where it arrives about the lUth of April, and remains 

 until the middle of September. It is found along the whole coast more or 

 less aliundantly, esi)ecially near the iieads of tlie numerous estuaries. 



In Central America it is cited by Salvin as occurring aliundantly on l)oth 

 the coast regions, and is particularly connnon about lielize, where! it is be- 

 lieved to breed. It is said by Mr. Xewton to be found on the island of St. 

 Croix at all times except during the breeding-season. It was also occa- 

 sionally seen at Trinidad by Mr. Iv (.'. Taylor. 



The Fish Hawk appears to subsist wholly on tlie fish which it takes by 

 its own active exertions, plunging for them in the ojien deej), o'' catching 

 them in the shallows of rivers where the depth does not permit a j)lunge. 

 Its abundance is measured somewhat by its su])])ly of food ; and in some 

 parts of the country it is hardly found, in others it appears in solitary pairs, 

 and again in a few districts it is tpiite gregarious. 



The American Fish Hawk is migratory in its habits, leaving our coasts 

 early in the fall of the year, and returning s(wn after the close of the winter. 

 Sir John liichardsoii states that the time of its arrival in the fur regions ia 

 as early as April, and on the coast it has been noticed in the middle of 

 March. It breeds on the coar.t of Xova Scotia late in June, on that of 

 Maine earlier in the same month, in New Jersey and Alaryland in jMay, and 

 still earlier in California. 



It is said to arrive on the New Jersey coast with great regularity about 

 the 21st of March, and to l)e rarely seen there after the 22d of September. 

 It not unfrequently finds, on its first arrival, the ponds, bays, and estuaries 

 ice-bound, and experiences some dilHcultyin procuring lb(jd. Yet I can lind 

 no instance on record where our Fish Hawk has l)een known to molest any 

 other liird or land-animal, to feed on them, though their swiftness of flight, 

 and their strength of wing and claws, would seem to render such attacks 

 quite easy. On their arrival the Fish Hawks are said to combine, and to 

 wage a determined war upon tlie White-headed Eagles, often succeeding by 

 their numbers and courage in driving them temporarily from their haunts. 

 But they never attack them singly. 



The Fish Hawk nests almost invariably on the tops of trees, and this 

 habit has been noticed in all parts of the country. It is not without excep- 

 tions, but tliese are quite rare. William H. Edwards, F]sq., found one of 

 tlieir nests constructed near West Point, New York, on a high cliff overhang- 

 ing the Hudson liiver. The trees on which their nests are built are not un- 



