The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1916-12-08
BIRDS IN COMPACT
EAGLE AND FISH HAWK HAVE AN
UNDERSTANDING.
Monarch Of the Air Watches Nest of
Business Partner While the Lat
ter Catches Food for Both
Their Needs.

Everybody who summers on the Jer-
sey coast has seen the fish hawk at
work, though of late years the number
of such birds seems to be decreasing.
The negroes down in Charles coun-
ty, Maryland, in that faraWay region
of Rock Point on the lower Potomac
where the river broadenS out like,
sea and where the fish hawk is COM
mon, have q story about, it and the
eagle which is interesting. While the
fish hawk, or osprey, difes into the
water for its food, which consists of
fish and cells, the eagle, is a 'land-lub-
ber' and would starve if he had to I'M
dertake to make a livelihood by BRAY
ing the Watery depths.
The story, that has its place in the
folklore of the BLACK Belt of Mary
land, is that one day theaeagle was
very hungry and meeting the fish hawk
as he was flying home with fine fish
in his claws, said:
'Mr. Fish Hawk, you and 1 might as
well be friends and join together and
work for our mutual advantage"
81 am willing" said the fish hawk.
soaring along with the eagle by his
side, but keeping a tighter grip on the
fish.
Gas you agree with Inc, I'll tell you
what we can do" said the eagle. "1f
you will catch all the fish you can and
give me half what you get I'll keep
watch in the old pine tree next to your
nest and protect your wife and chill
dren from the sparrow hawks and your
other enemies while you are at work
fishing"
'All right" said the fish hawk. 81
will do it,
From that day on, the story goes,
the fish hawk has fed the eagle. He
does this in an odd and interesting
manner. His eyes are very keen and
he can see to a considerable depth in
the water, and as he skins along over
the surface of the deep he picks out
the fat fish he wants. Quick as. light
ming he plunges down, extends his
claws and in the next instant rises with
the wriggling Wey in his talons. After
taking q firmer hold on his victim he
ascends by q spiral flight into the
| heavens. The eagle has been watch
ing from q tall tree or crag and, as the
| fish hawk rises the eagle also darts into
the sky above him. This is notice fol
all the fish hawks enemies among the
feathered tribe to retreat.
Just as the fish hawk gets to 4 point
on q plane that is level with that of the
eagle he relaxes his grip on the fish
and it begins to fall. 1t is then the
eagles time for quick action. Like 8
shot from a rapid-fre gun he dives ant
in u second or two has the fish in his
| claws.
This aerial "throw and catch" game
between the two great birds goes or
continually over the broad waters Of
the Potomac, much to the edificatioI
of the onlookers.. Of course, there
must be times when the eagle fails tt
catch the fish as he swoops dowr
through the air after it, but. it cannot
| be proved by anyone who. has wit
messed this particular aerial feat or
the part of the "bird of freedom" No
body seems to have ever seen the
eagle miss, and nobody seems to have
ever known the fish hawk fail to catcf
a fish when he dived for it.
AS the fish hawk rises in the all
oftentimes, especially on sunny day
the sheen of the fish can be seen like {
piece of silver in his claws, and some
| times the "silver" can be seen wrig
Cling, impressing one strangely as theil
eyes witness this tragedy in the air il
which the victim can have no hope o.
| rescue.