The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-14
HOW THE BIRDS FISH.
some Are Expert Anglers With Only
Natures Tackle.
From the New York Sur

From the New
It is easy for a man abroad with
rod and line on some still tree-fringed
lake to understand how the loon, the
hell-diver, the kingisher and such
birds make a living. They are all ex-
pert anglers with their own peculiar
outfits and understand how to use
them to perfection.
The hell-diver does not pretend to
tackle anything but very small fishes,
minnows mostly, and it eats a good
many things that it finds in the mud.
The loon is a powerful and rast
swimmer and one of the greatest OF
all great divers. 1t thinks nothing of
going to the bottom of lake so feet
deep, and when it gets after small
bass or perch or croppie that particu-
lar fish is in for a very unpleasant
three minutes. The loon catches and
eats fish all day, being almost an I'M
falling pursuer and one of the most
destructive of all birds which prey
u%on fish life.
The kinghsher, small, active and
blue, cannot swim a stroke, but 1t is a
diver to a depth of foot, and it
makes up in experiences what it lacks
in amphibiousness. Perched upon a
branch which overhangs the water,
with its head turned to one side and
it's eye cooked like a parrots, it sees
everything which passes below and
darts downward at frequent inter-
walls.
1t is after surface fish, minnows,
clubs, dace and such things, seldom
capturing anything more than three
inches long. The kingfsher is a sue
cessful about once in three times,
which is a very good average for a
non-water bird and as it is very in
dustrious it gets plenty for itself and
its sitting mate and later for the
young in the nest among the sedges by
the lakes edge. A man who watches
small gulls flying and diving over a
lake will find that they do not average
more than one kill in six dives, and
the kingfisher has them clearly out
classed.
No angler, though, ever has under
stood how the great fish-eagle gets
along. This huge bird, with a wing
spread of six feet and big body, needs
much food. Moreover, except in late
fall and winter, it has always a brood
of squalling young that are Unsuitable.
Both the male and the female FISH
for the nest, but IL is mystery how
they manage TO obtain enough for
themselves. let alone the youngsters.
The fish-eagle cannot swim; IL cannot
dive: II is slow Of flight; 1t cannot pick
up anything with its beak.
The kingfisher hits the water spear
bill downward like a flash of blue and
white light. but the fish-eagle, ponder
Gus. cumbrous and deliberative. has TO
depend entirely upon its talons. II
flies slowly over the lake at hight
OF ten to twenty yards. Seeing a fish
near the surface. II lowers itself above
II. drops It's legs down for six inches
and brings it, long talons together In
the effort 10 grasp,
While II IA doing this It's great wings
are pounding the air 10 keep IL aloft.
Nobody knows what would happen n II
fell In A more awkward take-a-
chance-anyhow fisherman does not ex-
let
II would seem that any fsh with an
atom Of sense would get out of the
way since unQuestlouably plenty %
time n afforded A bass idlinE on the
surface ana seeing che great shadow
descending would easily shoot twenty