1884.] Psychology. 213 
better known as the seven mile beach, appears to be a favorite 
spot in the breeding season; there, the writer of this article has 
photographed seven of their nests. All are built on the tops of 
trees of various altitudes, with one exception, one being built on 
the roots. The tree is, however, turned upside down, as repre- 
sented in our sketch as a picturesque object. The founders of 
that family residence selected the roots of the tree uplifted and 
forming a basin-like solid foundation, conveniently shaped to 
save labor in collecting sticks, of which the superstructure is 
formed, slight additions being sufficient for the cradle of ten gen- 
erations of young hawks which I have known. 
That lone and venerable cedar tree stands in a salt meadow, 
half a mile from the sea, with its roots high up in the air, while 
its branches are buried, and hold it to the earth, the effect of some 
terrible storm of wind or sea (perhaps both), no one knows when 
as far as I could learn. On the roots of this tree the fish-hawks 
have annually repaired the nest and raised their families. Now 
they have abandoned it. 
It may not be out of place to remark here that the fish-hawks 
do not always select a dead tree on which to build, as is gener- 
ally Supposed, almost all their nests being seen on dead trees, 
but it is a fact that the trees selected almost certainly die, or the 
oe do, in a few years after being so occupied.—7. 
- Leale, 
THE PERMANENCE oF THE Domestic INSTINCT IN THE Cat.— 
That the common cat would return to its primitive feral state, if 
< company of them of both sexes were turned loose in a region — 
Where they could have no access to mankind, is probable, and 
= integral characteristic of the species, is a matter that will hardly 
questioned by any one. Still opportunities to test the real per- 
not often presented. I had the good 
maA however, to meet with an interesting opportunity of this 
nd, during the prosecution of my field work for the U. S. Geo- 
logical Survey, in the summer of 1883. 
tn the Prosecution of that work I made the journey, together 
ea my party of three other persons, in an open row-boat, from 
ai ton, Montana, to Bismarck, Dakota, a distance of more 
ing steamers 
arya our journey, 
na S making our camp one night, about 100 miles above Fort 
dae a good sized black-and-white male cat came to the boat, 
d, although shy a 
"Read before the Biological Society of Washington, Nov. 16, 1883. 
