FISH-HAWK, OR OSPREY. 
45 
below. Suddenly he is seen to check his course, as if 
struck by a particular object, which he seems to survey 
for a few moments with such steadiness, that he appears 
fixed in air, flapping* his wings. This object, however, 
he abandons, or rather the fish he had in his eye has 
disappeared, and he is again seen sailing around as 
before. Now his attention is again arrested, and be 
descends with great rapidity ; but ere he reaches the 
surface, shoots off on another course, as if ashamed that 
a second victim had escaped him. He now sails at a 
short height above the surface, and by a zig-zag descent, 
and without seeming to dip his feet in the water, seizes 
a fish, which, after carrying a short distance, he probably 
drops, or yields up to the bald eagle, and again ascends, 
by easy spiral circles, to the higher regions of the air, 
where he glides about in all the ease and majesty of his 
species. At once, from this sublime aerial height, he 
descends like a perpendicular torrent, plunging into the 
sea with a loud rushing sound, and with the certainty 
of a rifle. In a few moments he emerges, bearing in 
his claws his struggling prey, which he always carries 
head foremost, and, having risen a few feet above the 
surface, shakes himself as a water spaniel would do, and 
directs his heavy and laborious course directly for the 
land. If the wind blow hard, and his nest lie in the quarter 
from whence it comes, it is amusing to observe with 
what judgment and exertion he beats to windward, not 
in a direct line, that is, in the wind's eye , but making 
several successive tacks to gain his purpose. This will 
appear the more striking, when we consider the size of 
the fish which he sometimes bears along. A shad was 
taken from a fish-hawk near Great Egg Harbour, on 
which he had begun to regale himself, and had already 
ate a considerable portion of it ; the remainder weighed 
six pounds. Another fish-hawk was passing Mr Beas- 
ley’s, at the same place, with a large flounder in his 
grasp, which struggled and shook him so, that he dropt 
it on the shore. The flounder was picked up, and 
served the whole family for dinner. It is singular that 
the hawk never descends to pick up a fish which he 
