ZOOLOGY. 
153 
like in its habits — a truly mortifying character to be assumed by the representative of our 
national emblem. 
The eyries of this bird are frequently found throughout Oregon, and are bred in, during 
successive seasons, year after year, as stated by various authors. 
At times the settlers speak of seeing very large eagles — larger, they say, than the bald 
eagle. Perhaps these may be specimens of the pelagicus or Washingtonii. I have not yet 
been lucky enough to secure a specimen of either. 
Captain Burns, of Port Discovery, (Puget Sound,) informed me that in the spring of 1856 
he caught a young bird of this species, which he called, in common with the other settlers, a 
"gray eagle." This was reared as a pet, and became quite tame. At times the captain would 
take the young eagle on coasting voyages along Puget Sound. The bird would frequently 
leave the vessel on short excursions, generally, however, returning to it again, even when the 
schooner in sailing had altered its position several miles, and being never deceived so as to fly 
on board of other small craft, although many would be near by. Sometimes, however, the 
eagle would prefer returning to Captain B.'s house, on the bay of Port Discovery. At the 
time I was informed of this the bird had lived with the captain nearly a year, and manifested 
no desire to seek another home. About the house he was quite a terror to the pigs and small 
dogs, from which he remorselessly took any carrion or other delicacy which suited his palate.- — S. 
PANDION CAROLINENSIS, Bonaparte. 
The Fish Hawk ; The American Osprey. 
Falco carolinensis, Gu. Syst. Nat. I, 263, (1788.) 
Aquila piscairix, Vieill. Gis. d' Am. Sept. I, 29, (1807.) 
Pandion americanus, Vieill. Gal. Ois. I, 33, (1825.) 
Falco haliadus, Linn. Wilson, Am. Orn. V. 14. 
Falco haliaeius, Linn. Aud. Orn. Biog. I, 415. 
Pandion carolinensis, Bonap. Eur. and Am. Birds, p. 3. 
Pandion carolifimsis, (Gu.) Baird & Cassin, Gen. Eep. Birds, p. 44. 
Figures. — Catesby's Carolina, I, pi. 2; Vieill. Ois. d'Am. Sept. I, pi. 4; Wilson, Am. Orn. V, 37; Aud. B. of Am. pi. 81: 
oct. ed. I, pi. 15; Nat. Hist. New Yorli, Birds, pi. 8, fig. 18. 
Sp. Ch. — Head and entire under parts -white; stripe through the eye, top of head, and upper parts, deep brown; tail with 
about eight bands of blackish-brown; breast with numerous cordate and circular pale brownish sjwts. 
Female: length, about 25; wing, 21; tail, 10^ inches. 
Male: length, 22 J— 23; wing, 19^; tail, 10 inches. 
Young: above with pale tips to feathers ; more numerous and darker spots on breast. 
The fish hawk is common along the coast, arriving at Puget Sound by the middle of April, 
and building on dead trees near there and near the mouth of the Columbia river. I never 
saw them on the upper part of that river, though they probably ascend with the fall salmon. 
I did not see the eagle rob this hawk, though abundant in the same places. The reason may 
be that it can obtain plenty of food more honestly and with less trouble in that country. This 
hawk never troubles the farmers, and is generally unmolested, except by idlers and naturalists. — C. 
A specimen of the osprey was shot, at Steilacoom, by Mr. George Gibbs, and presented to 
me. I have seen it also in the Rocky mountains. No. 5837 (531) Fort Steilacoom, October 2, 
1856; length, 22|; extent, 62^; wing, 19^ inches.— S. 
20 Q 
