FISH-HAWK, OR OSPREY. 
47 
or joyous festive meeting 1 on the occasion. They are 
naturally of a mild and peaceable disposition, living 
together in great peace and harmony ; for though with 
them, as in the best regulated communities, instances 
of attack and robbery occur among themsel ves, yet these 
instances are extremely rare. Mr Gardiner observes, 
that they are sometimes seen high in the air, sailing 
and cutting strange gambols, with loud vociferations, 
darting down several hundred feet perpendicular, fre- 
quently with part of a fish in one claw, which they 
seem proud of, and to claim high hooh y as the fishermen 
call him who takes the greatest number. On these 
occasions, they serve as a barometer to foretel the 
changes of the atmosphere ; for, when the fish-hawks 
are seen thus sailing high in air, in circles, it is univer- 
sally believed to prognosticate a change of weather, 
often a thunder storm, in a few hours. On the faith 
of the certainty of these signs, the experienced coaster 
wisely prepares for the expected storm, and is rarely 
mistaken. 
There is one singular trait in the character of this 
bird, which is mentioned in treating of the purple 
grakle, and which I have had many opportunities 
of witnessing. The grakles, or crow blackbirds, are 
permitted by the fish-hawk to build their nests among 
the interstices of the sticks of which his own is con- 
structed, — several pairs of grakles taking up their abode 
there, like humble vassals around the castle of their 
chief, laying, hatching their young, and living together 
in mutual harmony. 1 have found no less than four of 
these nests clustered around the sides of the former, 
and a fifth fixed on the nearest branch of the adjoining 
tree ; as if the proprietor of this last, unable to find an 
unoccupied corner on the premises, had been anxious 
to share, as much as possible, the company and protec- 
tion of this generous bird. 
The fish-hawk is twenty-two inches in length, and 
five feet three inches in extent ; the bill is deep black, 
the upper as well as lower cere, (for the base of the 
lower mandible has a loose moveable skin,) and also 
