44 
FALCO HALIiETUS. 
“ This morning the female was flying to and fro, 
making a mournful noise.” 
The young of the fish-hawk are remarkable for 
remaining long in the nest before they attempt to fly. 
Mr Smith’s letter is dated June 30th, at which time, 
he observes, they were as large as pullets, and full 
feathered. Seventeen days after, I myself ascended to 
this same hawk’s nest, where I found the two remain- 
ing young ones seemingly full grown. They made no 
attempts to fly, though they both placed themselves in 
a stern posture of defence as I examined them at my 
leisure. The female had procured a second helpmate ; 
hut he did not seem to inherit the spirit of his prede- 
cessor, for, like a true step-father, he left the nest at 
my approach, and sailed about at a safe distance with 
his mate, who shewed great anxiety and distress during 
the whole of my visit. It is universally asserted, by 
the people of the neighbourhood where these birds 
breed, that the young remain so long, before they fly, 
that the parents are obliged at last to compel them to 
shift for themselves, beating them with their wings, 
and driving them from the nest. But that they con- 
tinue to assist them even after this, I know to be a fact, 
from my own observation, as I have seen the young 
bird meet its parent in the air, and receive from him 
the fish he carried in his claws. 
The flight of the fish-hawk, his manoeuvres while in 
search of fish, and his manner of seizing his prey, are 
deserving of particular notice. In leaving the nest, 
he usually flies direct till he comes to the sea, then 
sails around, in easy curving lines, turning sometimes 
in the air as on a pivot, apparently without the least 
exertion, rarely moving the wings, his legs extended in 
a straight line behind, and his remarkable length, and 
curvature, or bend of wing, distinguishing him from all 
; other hawks. The height at which he thus elegantly 
g lides is various, from one hundred to one hundred and 
fty, and two hundred feet, sometimes much higher, all 
the while calmly reconnoitring the face of the deep 
