pring season these birds move to the northward, and make their
appearance along the Atlantic coast of the continent, where they diffuse
joy into the hearts of the fishermen--because the latter know, on seeing
them, that they may soon expect the large shoals of herring, shad, and
other fish, for which they have been anxiously looking out. So great
favourites are they with the fisherman, that they would not knowingly
kill an osprey for a boat-load of fish, but regard these bold fishing
birds in the light of "professional brethren." In this case the old
adage that "two of a trade never agree" is clearly contradicted.

The farmer often takes up his gun to fire at the osprey--mistaking it
for the red-tailed buzzard or some other hawk, several species of which
at a distance it resembles--but, on discovering his mistake, brings down
his piece without pulling trigger, and lets the osprey fly off unharmed.
This singular conduct on the part of the farmer arises from his
knowledge of the fact, that the osprey will not only _not_ kill any of
his ducks or hens, but that where he makes a settlement he will drive
off from the premises all the hawks, buzzards, and kites, that would
otherwise prey upon the poultry. With such protection, therefore, the
osprey is one of the securest birds in America. He may breed in a tree
over the farmer's or fisherman's door without the slightest danger of
being disturbed in his incubation.

I say _his_ incubation; but the male takes no part in this domestic
duty, further than to supply his loved mate with plenty of fish while
she does the hatching business. Of course, thus protected, the osprey is
not a rare bird. On the contrary, fish-hawks are more numerous than
perhaps any other species of the hawk tribe. Twenty or thirty nests may
be seen near each other in the same piece of woods, and as many as three
hundred have been counted on one little island. The nests are built upon
large trees--not always at the tops, as those of rooks, but often in
forks within twenty feet of the ground. They are composed of large
sticks, with stalks of corn, weeds, pieces of wet turf, and then lined
plentifully with dry sea-grass, or any other grass that may be most
convenient.

The whole nest is big enough to make a load for a cart, and would be
heavy enough to give any horse a good pull. It can be seen, when the
woods are open, to an immense distance, and the more easily, as the tree
upon which it is built is always