204 
OUR HOME BIRDS. 
“ The more we study them/’ replied his governess, 
“ and animals as well, the more surprised we are at 
the similarity of their tastes and habits, in many 
respects, with those of human beings. 
“ The nest of the fish-hawk is usually built on the 
top of a dead or decaying tree, sometimes at a great 
height from the ground. It consists externally of 
large sticks, an inch and a half around and two or 
three feet in length, piled to the height of four or five 
feet and from two to three feet in breadth ; these are 
intermixed with corn-stalks, sea-weed, pieces of wet 
turf in large quantities, mullein-stalks, and lined with 
dry sea-grass ; the whole forming a mass that can be 
seen half a mile off, and large enough to fill a cart.' 
There are usually three eggs, rather larger than hens’ 
eggs, and very much the same shape. The color is 
nearly white, with a reddish tinge, splashed all over 
with dark brown. 
“The fishermen are supposed to hail the appear- 
ance of this curious bird in such lines as these: 
‘ The osprey sails above the sound ; 
The geese are gone, the gulls are flying; 
The herring-shoals swim thick around ; 
The nets are launched, the boats are plying. 
1 She brings us fish — she brings us spring, 
Good times, fair weather, warmth, and plenty, 
