Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-06-12
BANpIrTI or THE AIR.
The Warfare of the Florida Frigate
Birds on the Fish Hawks.

4 rom me &WdFfC4f1 NUtNfHttets
was puzzled tor quite while when in
Southern Florida at some mysterious an
tics of the fish hawks. These creatures,
bold enough away from the sea, some
times act IN the most cowardly manner,
starting from the trees into the open and
returning again in fright. l soon learned
the reason for this cowardice. Stretched
at length on tue deck of boat in the
early morning in the Pass Of Boca GranGe,
one of the entrances to Charlotte Har-
Dor, saw tine specimen of hawk cross
overhead and proceed seaward to tnd
a dinner. The excursion was successful
as the pass swarmed with iish coming in
with the tide. A fine one soon lett Its ele-
ment and swung alott into the air in the
talons Of the bird, which at once began its
return. But u newcomer appeared upon
the scene. A black creature which
seemed all wings and shaped like a flat
tened letter Nj, dropped from above and
confronted the hawk. which at once
dropped its prey and uttered "A scream so
brimtul of mortal terror that it should
have excited the sympathy of all living
things within the compass OF its sound,
The hawk flew in trightato cover and
| recognized the intruder as the fri
gate bird. On looking upward whence 1t
had come l saw score of frigRte
birds a mile or more from the earth, float
ing round and round on motOnlees wings.
The dropped fish were seized In the beak
of the bird long before it had reached the
water, and with a sweep OF exquisite
grace on tense wings, fronting mid
breeze, the cOrsair was lifted half mile
into the air, where another astonishing
performance was at once initiated.
bic was taken from the fish, whlcn was
dropped. Down came the fsh, and The
bird, folding its wings tishtly upon Its
body, dropped swifty after it. The pare
bitten of being disposed Of,anoCher swoop
downwards was made, the fish seized,
and the upward swing repeated, and this
process continued until the entire carcass
was deYOured.
On another occasion saw hawk seize
a fish and start for the shore. A black
corsair at once appeared and captured
the booty as on the former occasion, while
the frightened fisher fed screaming to-
ward the land. But now u change Of pro-
gramme took place. Another long
winged creature from the group above
appeared in front of and facing the fright
ened hawk. which turned seward at
once, mingling its note OF terror with one
of despair. Every effort to side of to-
wards home was frustrated by the gliding
terror interposing its bulk IN the intended
direction, until the victim seemed to ac-
cept the inevitable and made an attempt
to cross the gulf. The tormenting enemy
then seemed content, and swung
aloft among its companions. The
poor fisherman, rid of the dire presence,
wheeled on its course for home, and,
It's frenzied flappings relieved of excessive
tension, made very good time, when on
reaching the very brink Of safety the
black wings again appeared, and the
whole distressing business was re-enacted
with increasing despair In the frightened
cry. This went on for more than half an
hour. Every effort at retreat was inter-
cepted. During all the time the hawk
kept up an incessant Tapping of its wings,
and its physical endurance was giving
away under the prOtTacted strain. This
was apparent from the changing tone OF
it's scream, which varied through all the
gamut of despair, from unreasOning ter
rOr TO supplicating misery. 1t was
the Roman gladiator's "C9sar, the
dying salute thee" with the ambition
left out.
The irigate bird at length seemed I'm
patient. 1t more promptly answered the
movements Of the hawk, and urged COM
piance with greater Yig0r, and finally in
troduced a new feature into the proceed
Ings. Swooping upwards for 100 feet it
turned head foremost aud plUnged be-
meath the hawk, turning completely over
as it did so, and, passing to the front,
vaulted upwards, and down again in the
same path, thus describing an elliptical
orbit around its victim. 1t swung near
the hawk round the lower curve, causing
upward flight, until at length. in an ex-
hausted condition. 1t was introduced into
the company of its tOrmenters, which had
been descending from high levels
and were now about 400 yards above the
water. Its strength was now well nigh
exhausted. Its cry was scarcely audible,
aud it barely had the power of directing
it's movements. In whichever way it
went, excepting one, a black terror
confronted it. II could rise unimpeded,
utfound resistance to every other course.
1t struggled upwards for some 400 yards
further, until the distance was so great
as to make it dificult to keep the move
meuts in the field OF the glass, when it
gave up the task and rapidly fi0undered
over and over through the air, its muscu-
lar power exhausted and its mass sur
rendered to the gravitating force. Down
it came. the whole half score of enemies
circling about 1t. until 1t struck the water
near the beach in the shadows OF the
Offing. IL was drowned.
Again several DAYS later / watched
hawk catch a fish and saw frigate bird
seize sthe prize. But when the hawk
started for the trees another frigate bird
appeared. Then the hawk went back to
its fishing, and the second fish was sur
rendered to the second intruder. Thus
the hawk was forced TO catch a fish for
every frigate bird in the flock. Then they
let the hawk go free. The mystery was
clear. The frigate bird makes the fish
hawk It's slave.