38 HABITS OF THE OSPREY. 



visiting wings amidst these solitudes, that seem rightly to belong to the fish-hawk alone. His 

 hoarse bark startles the deep silence from afar, and every natural sound is mute. Wheeling 

 grandly amidst the dim blue cliffs, he subsides on slow and royal spread upon some blasted pine 

 beside the lake-river, and with quick, short screaming — while he smooths his ruffled plumes 

 — announces to awed nature that its winged monarch has come down to rest. The friendly 

 fish-hawks, in silent consternation, dart hither and yon in vexed uncertain flight, the tiny 

 songsters dive into deep thickets, and the very cricket, underneath dead leaves, pauses for a 

 moment in its cheerful trill, while the shadow of that drear sound passes over all. But now 

 the kingly bird grows quiet, and vdth many a shift of feet and restless lift of wing — whUe 

 fierce, far-darting eyes are taking in all the capabilities of his new i^erch — he sinks into an 

 attitude of deep reiaose, one yellow-heated eye uj)turned, watching the evolutions of the 

 startled fish -hawks, whose movement, becoming less and less irregular as they wheel to and 

 fro, gradnally subsides iato the measured windings of their habitual flight in seeldng prey, 

 while the buzz, the hum, the chirj), the chatter, and the carol creep up once again, and nature 

 becomes voiceful in her happy silence. 



" Now, to witness, as I have done, from the mountain tojjs, the Osi:)rey sweep down from 

 the dizzy height, almost level with my feet, and hear the faint whirr of arrowy -falling plumes, 

 and see the cloud-spray dimly flash through the blue steep of distance — ah, that was a sight ! 

 And then the strong bird's scream of exultation faintly heard, and the far flash of scales glit- 

 tering as he drags his spoil to sunlight from its dark, slumberous home, and on strong vans 

 goes beating up towards the clouds ; ak, that too was a sight ! But then to see deep down, 

 that couchant tyrant deep down below, ' levelling his neck for flight ' (as the ' glorious weaver ' 

 has it), his war-crest raised, his wings half-spread, pausing for the moment on his stoop, and 

 then one clamorous shriek of confident power, and see him vault away, up, up, with a swift 

 cleave, conquering gravitation, and go lifted on the spell of wings ! Wonderf nl sight — that 

 upward struggle ! The fish-hawk has taken warning from the exulting cry of his old enemy, 

 and with yet louder cries, as if for help, goes up and upward, swifter still, with vain beatings 

 that scatter the fleece-fonns of cloud above me, and stir them in whirling gyrations. But no ; 

 the conqueror with overcoming wings is upon him, with fierce buffetings the stirred chaos can- 

 not hide from me, and the fisher drops his prey with a despairing shriek, while it goes gleam- 

 ing headlong towards its ravished home. Now but an instant's poise while the sunlight can 

 flash off a ray from steadied plumes, and the Eagle goes, dimmed with swiftness, roaring 

 down to catch the falling prey liefore it reach the wave. 



"But the fish -hawk, although the mildest, the most generous and social of all the Fal- 

 conidse, still recognizes that point beyond which forbearance is no virtue. When the x'l^ui- 

 dering outrages of the bald Eagle have been at length carried to an intolerable extreme in any 

 particular locality, the fish-hawks in the neighborhood combine in a common assault upon the 

 tATannical robber. I have frequently witnessed such scenes along the coast of the Gulf of 

 Mexico. They abound in great numbers along the estuaries of its great rivers. I remember 

 particularly to have noted the greatest collection of them at the mouth of the Brazos River, at 

 Texas. Twenty or thirty of them are constantly congregated at this, place during the spring 

 months, to feed upon the great shoals of the luscious red fish which then make their appear- 

 ance here ; though otherwise a barren and uncouth spot, it is constantly enlivened by the 

 aerial gambols of these powerful and gracefiil flighted birds, and many's the battle between 

 them and the bald Eagle that I have witnessed among the clouds at this place. They seemed 

 to have foi-med a sort of colony for mutual protection, and the moment their foe, the Eagle, 

 made Ms appearance among them, the cry of alarm was raised, and the vigilant colonists, 

 hurrying from all quarters, attacked the robber without hesitation, and always succeeded in 

 driving him away. 



"There was always a desperate battle first before the savage monarch could be routed, 

 and I have seen them gathered about him in such numbers, whirling and timibling amidst 

 a chaos of floating feathers through the air, that it was impossible for a time to distinguish 

 which was the Eagle, until, having got enough of it amidst such fearful odds, he would fain 

 turn tail, and with most undignified acceleration of flight would dart toward the covert of the 



