VERTEBRATE FOOD. 53 



FISH. 



Several speciqs of birds on the farm are known to feed on fish, but 

 they are so few in number and take food fishes so seldom that as far 

 as has been learned they cause no material injury to fishing interests, 

 which at this point on the river are of considerable importance. A 

 pair of king-fishers were often seen fishing along the shore in front of 

 the Bryan house (PI. Ill, fig. 2), and five nestlings taken from the bluff 

 on the Hungerford place had been fed wholly on fish. Herons, includ- 

 ing the night heron, the green heron, and the great blue heron, were 

 frequently seen wading in shallow water, spearing fish with their long, 

 pointed beaks. Two green herons that were collected had eaten sil- 

 versides (Menidia notata) and mummichogs (Fimdulus Jteteroditus). 

 Ducks, particularly the mergansers, feed to some extent on fish. Two 

 hooded mergansers, collected November 15, 1900, had eaten respect- 

 \\q\j 12 and 20 tiny fish. Gulls are decidedly more piscivorous than 

 ducks. During November the herring- gull and the ring-billed gull 

 fished by the dozen out in the river between the farmhouse and Mount 

 Vernon (see PL 1, frontispiece fig. 2). In the same place the osprey 

 was once in a while seen plunging after his pre}^ The bald eagle was 

 observed catching fish, but more often it feeds on those that it finds 

 dead. 



CARRION. 



Some birds, notably eagles, crows, and buzzards, feed at times 

 largely on dead fish. Eagles may be seen along the river scanning the 

 shore for those cast up by the tide. May 19, 1899, an eagle flying 

 over the farm dropped an eel 26 inches long that had evidently been 

 taken as carrion. Gulls, also, undoubtedly pick up a good deal of 

 such food. Crows and buzzards are valuable scavengers of dead fish 

 cast up at low tide during the last of April and the first of May, when 

 the fishing season is at its height. These fish are small, principally 

 sun-fish, white perch, and shad, that were fatalh^ injured by nets. 

 Observations on May 5, 1901, showed the whole river front of the 

 farm strewn with decaying fish, which gave out such a stench that one 

 could not sit comfortably within several hundred yards of the beach. 

 Some 10 buzzards were feeding on the carrion all day. On close 

 inspection they were seen to be selecting that which was most badly 

 decomposed. Crows in almost as large numbers and several crow 

 blackbirds were also feeding, but they commonly took that which was 

 less decayed. Several crows came repeatedly to the shore of lot 1, 

 picked up fish, and carried them to their nests in the woods. By 

 abating this nuisance crows and buzzards do a service that is appre- 

 ciated by the occupants of the farmhouse. 



Buzzards are also useful in removing other carrion. Stock that 

 dies on the farm is never buried, but is left for them. November 16, 



