Staten Island Association of Arts and Sciences 



larger bird of prey. It is the custom of the bald eagle, particu- 

 larly in the fall of the year, to follow the fish hawk migration, 

 imposing upon these faithful fishermen in preference to seeking 

 quarry on his own initiative. His method is to await the ap- 

 pearance of some hawk that has secured a fish from the ocean 

 and is flying with it inland to some accustomed perch, when 

 the eagle makes a rush toward the osprey, the latter screaming 

 in terror and dropping the prize which is snatched by the rob- 

 ber before it reaches the ground. Occasionally a hawk be- 

 comes sufficiently bold or angered to turn on the pirate but his 

 attacks are only half meant and the marauder continues on his 

 dignified course. 



During late summer and early autumn Staten Island be- 

 comes the stopping place for dozens of ospreys and these hosts 

 have their accompanying eagle parasites, as many as five of the 

 latter having been noted in the past three or four years. 



Eagles are nowhere common in the eastern states and the 

 sight of one of these great creatures, with his nearly seven 

 feet of wing expanse, is sufficient to hold one's attention till 

 the bird is lost in the distance, especially if it be an old bird 

 with dark body and wings and pure white head and tail. In 

 the late winter eagles are occasionally seen perched on ice floes 

 in the lower Hudson as far south as upper Manhattan, but one 

 has his greatest opportunity of seeing these birds on Staten 

 Island or elsewhere along the coast from late August until 

 early October, when the ospreys are on the move. H. H. C. 



Donations to the museum and library have been received 

 from the following persons during the last month : Wm. T. 

 Davis, Arthur Hollick, New Brighton ; H. Wm. Ferdinand 

 Fielding, Harold McGregor, Tompkinsville ; Paul H. Downing, 

 Mrs. Wm. G. Willcox, West New Brighton; N. L. Britton, 

 James J. Sullivan, New York City ; Laurence S. Barroll, Char- 

 leston, S. C.; Richard Lambert, Worcester, Mass. 



Of special value to the library of the Association is the 

 donation of Mrs. Willcox, consisting of volumes II, III, V and 

 VI of the U. S. War Department Reports of explorations and sur- 

 veys made in connection with the then proposed railroad to 

 the Pacific Ocean. It is very desirable that volumes I and IV 

 be secured, if possible, in order to complete the set, and mem- 

 bers are urgently requested to bear this in mind. 



