1890 
Mar20-Apl 
Florida^ 
Suwanee River 
Mar20-Aprl , 1890 . 
Only a few stragglers seen until we were within fifteen or 
twenty miles of the mouth of the river , when they became more 
and more numerous as we descended, reaching the height of their 
abundance near the limit of the wooded area, where it bordered 6n 
the marshes of the coast. Here we found on the average at least 
one pair to every mile of river, and there were occasionally pairs 
also breeding on many of its connecting creeks,. Their nests were 
usually placed in cypresses^ ordinarily on the tops of stunted 
or p,j,Mtii ( l'l! .'U'ly dead trees, the height above the ground varying 
from 25 or 30 to 75 or 80 feet. On the Jo ^ i 
saw a paie corpulating. The female was sitting on the nest when 
the male appeared soaring at a height of about fifty feet above 
it. Suddenly he poised and bpgan flapping his wings in a loose, 
butter-fly fashion, maintain<W»his position in one spot for near- 
ly a minute during which time^ie screamed incessantly in high, 
4 ix^JbL tones resembling /very closely those of the Duck Hawk . &ZT 
Suddenly ho partially close*Uhis wings, ^shot down 1 ik e rt ar^rrow , 
• n d effected a union with nis mate, flapping his v/ings duriragahe 
wawwi "Several birds were seen sitting on their nests at about 
this date, when I am inclined to thai&k that most of them were lay- 
ing. Four or five days previously, we saw a pair building or 
rather adding to the nest, which was already appcr of 
sise. Th^- flew across the river, coming from a distance and bear- 
ing large sticks in their claws . These were placed in position 
both birds apparentlyTffSp*^; and making a great fuss, flapping 
their wings and screaming incessantly. The Fish Hawks on this riv- 
er are ordinarily too shy to allow a boat to come wi thin gu najiqt^yy _ 
’iSi 2U + E *** began laying, they became somewhat bolde^TwhSi 
fifty yards and wMsSinr’in'Inx^us tZfs ""on" ^ ^ ^ 
saw a curious reversal o? 
was'aftackld Srious? °t ^ tr9 '” * ith * « sh-WVW in its talons 
-M + + 1 ' d f uriously by a pa^ of Fish Hawks which, rising a 
uttering b the ^ 1 ^ 1 ^^""“^- 
Z i6nfc ' ;h ° nS °f S the a SaSs en appare a Sly 
swooped down after it, but failed" to overtake it b^foTe h “ached 
c i r c ling ** o v e ^ t h ^ W&S lGSt ‘ 7116 Pish Hawks remained for some time 
Tn z zzzitZ’ZZTZ 
ira.Hfer lm T «*• reached the stage 
caudit th“ fkh cr + began, and so cannot tell whether the Eagle 
, . ' 1 lsh or took i } aw ay from one of the Hawks" but as mv 
a ,ention was attracted 6ry the creaaming of the Hawks, and as I 
had^iot heard fecund privi^sly, a3 would have been ’ the case _ 
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ft J 
