212 FALCUNS. HAWKS, EAGLES, I'I‘C.

and tipped with blaek. Inn-ASiniilar. but brownei‘. and with few or no bars on the interseapulars and breast. 1... 22'4"); \\'., town; 11. t'rom N.. 1‘25 Ila/(114. Southern Florida and .\le.\ieau border ot’ the l'nited States south

to the. Amazon.

Met. in a eabhage palmetto or on the taps of dense bushes. Ifg/g/s'. two to~ three. \‘aryiu;r t'roni ereani—butl' to rut'ous, heavily marked with shades of red~ dish brown and elioeolate, 2‘35) x 1's.'i.

"Oeiate with Vultures and feed on Carrion,

(i'araearas frequently but the" also eapture their own food. This consists largely of frogs7 lizards. and small snakes, which the birds tind while walking about on the ground in search of them. Their flight is strong. rapid, and direet, and bears no resemblance to that of a Vulture’s.

364. Pandion haliaétus carolinensis (Hun/J. AMI—ZIIII‘AN Us— x'mn'; Fisn ll.\\\‘l\'. .t«/. 5. rl'pper parts t’useous, the head and nape varied with white: tail with six to eight obseure builds. more distinct on the inner web: under parts white. breast sometimes slightly spotted with grayish brown. Ad. 9 .Wh'iniilar. but the breast always spotted with grayish brown. L., 26'10; \V.. isn't); '12. Hull).

[fully/Mixttl‘tlt Ameri -a; breeds from Florida to Labrador: winters from South (,‘arolina to northern South Ameriea.

\\'ashington. imeomnion S. 11. Melt. 23 to (let. Sing Sing. eominon T. V., rare. S. 12.. .\pl. :3 to May 20;; Sept. :11! to ()et’. 20. (‘illlllil'ltl'flv‘ eomnioli T. V., .\pl.; {\‘ept.

Al's]. generally in a tree. thirty to fifty feet from the ground. rarely on the L'l‘uutlfl. hie/x. two to four. extremely variable. sometimes dnll white. 1111— marked. sometimes almost solid ehoeolate. but generally butl‘y white, heavily marked with elioeolate. elitt-tly at the larger end, 2'4?) x 1'5”.

'l‘his speeies lives in eolonies. and also in pairs. along: our coasts. re- turning year after year to the same, nesting: ground. Its food consists solely of fish. whieh as a rule it captures alive. \Vinging its way slowly over the. water. it keeps a keen wateh for fish wliieh may appear near the surlaee. When one is observed it pauses. hovers a moment, and then closing its wings descends with a speed and directness of aim that gene‘ally insure sueeess. It strikes the water with great force, making.r a loud spins/i, and frequently disappears fora moment before risingr with its prey grasped in its powerful talons. As a rule, it 'arries its food to some favorite pert-h. there to deVonr it. It, is said that l’ish llawks have been known to strike fish so large that. unable to release their hold. they were drawn under water and drowned.

\Vhen proteeted. Fish llawks, like many other birds, to a large de— gree. lose their fear of man. In The Auk. for October. 18%. will be found a valuable article by Dr. (7. S. Allen. on the habits of this species as observed by him on l’lum Island. N. Y.. where for forty years the birds had been protected by the owner of the island.