88 PEARLS AND PEBBLES. 



the birds wheel about, and giving a flash of color scarcely 

 visible when they are at rest. 



Nearly allied to our red-shouldered blackbird is the 

 yellow-headed blackbird, a large handsome fellow with 

 the whole head aiid upper portion of the breast and 

 neck of a bright yellow. 



This fine species is not common with us, but is some- 

 times met with in Ontario. He is the Xunthocephalus 

 of Bonaparte, and belongs rather to the Western States 

 of America ; eastward he is only an occasional visitor. 



THE FISH-HAWK.* 



" The osprey sails above the Sound ; 



The geese are gone, the gulls are flying ; 

 The herring shoals swarm thick around, 



The nets are launched, the boats are plying. 

 Yo ho ! my hearts ! let's seek the deep, 



"Raise high the song and cheerily wish her, 

 Still as the bending net we sweep, 



' God bless the fish-hawk and the fisher.' " 



— Wilson. 



A bold fisher and a successful one is the Osprey, 

 second only in his power of wing and keenness of vision 

 to the rapacious Bald-headed Eagle, his great rival, who, 

 with lordly arrogance, ^acting on the ungenerous spirit of 

 might overcoming right, often robs him of his lawful 

 prey. 



However, as both these birds are thieves and tyrants, 



* The American Osprey -Pandion Haliaatus Carolinensis. 



