A WINGED CORSAIR.

Western Star, Issue 1116, 15 January 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

A WINGED CORSAIR.

1 was much puzzled, says a correspondent, for quite a while when in Southern Florida at some mysterious antics of the fish-hawks. These birds, bold enough away from the sea, often act* in the most cowardly manner, starting from the trees into the open and returning again in fright. I soon learned the reason for this cowardice. Stretched at length on the deck of a boat in the early morning in the pass of Boco Grande, one of the entrances to Charlotte’s Harbour, I saw a fine specimen of hawk cross overhead and proceed seaward to find a dinner. The excursion was successful, as the pass swarmed with fish coming in with the tide. A fine one soon left its element and swung aloft into the air in the talons of the bird, which at once began its return. But a new-comer appeared upon the scene.

A black creature which seemed all wings, and shaped like a flattened letter M, dropped from above and confronted the hawk, which at once dropped its prey and uttered a scream so brimful of mortal terror that it should have excited the sympathy of ah living things within the compass of }ts sound, The hawk flew in fright to

cover, and I recognised the intruder as the frigate bird. On looking upward whence it bad come, I saw a score of frigate birds a mile or more from the earth, floating round and round and round on motionless wings. The fish was 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 a mild Dreeze, the corsair was lifted half a mile into the air, where another astonishing performance was at once initiated. A. bite was taken from the fish, which was dropped. Down came the fish, and the bird, folding its wings tightly upon its body, dropped swiftly after it. The part bitten off 1 being disposed of, mother swoop downward was made, the fish seized, and the upward swing repeated, and this process continued until the whole carcass was devoured. On another occasion I saw a hawk seize a fish and start for the shore. A black corsair at once swooped and captured the booty, as on the other occasion, while the frightened fisher fled screaming towards the land. But now a change of programme took place. Another long-winged creature from the group above appeared in front of and facing the frightened hawk, which turned seaward at once, mingling its note of terror with one of despair. Every effort to side off home was frustated by the gliding terror interposing its bulk in the intended direction, until the victim seemed to accept the inevitable and mide 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 its 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. The frigate bird at length seemed impatient. It more promptly answered the movements of the hawk, and urged compliance with greater vigour, and finally introduced a new feature into the proceedings. Swooping upward fur one hundred feet, it turned head-foremost and plunged beneath the hawk, turned completely over as it did so, and, passing to the front, vaulted upward and down again in the same path, thus describing an elliptical orbit around its victim. It swung near the hawk round the lower curve, causing an upward flight, until at length, in an exhausted condition, it was introduced into the company of its tormentors, which had been descending from a high level, and were now about 400 yards above the water. Its strength was well-nigh exhausted. Its cry was scarcely audible, and it barely bad power of directing its movements. In whichever way it went, excepting one, a black terror confronted it It could rise unimpeded, but found resistance to every other course. It struggled upward for some 400 yards further, until the distance was so great as to make it difficult to keep the movements within the field of the glass, when it gave up the task, and floundered over and over and over through the air, its muscular powers exhausted and its mass surrendered to the gravitating force. Down it came, the whole half score of enemies circling about it until it struck the water near the beach in the shallows of the offing. It was drowned.

Again, several days later, I watched a hawk catch a fish, and saw a frigate bird seize the 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 surrendered 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 fishhawk his slave. —American Naturalist.