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The Struggle for Existence

John J. Boyce

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On the west coast of Florida some of the bays and inlets are famous spawning grounds for mullet, a fish weighing from two to ten pounds. They swim in large schools near the surface, and are a favorite food of the fish hawk, which is not an uncommon bird upon that coast.

One day, on the shore of Sarasota Bay, I was watching a female fish hawk circling above a large school of mullet, swimming so close in that their protruding noses could be plainly seen dimpling the smooth waters of the bay. After a few unsuccessful attempts she dropped with extended talons, seized a fish, and after a distressing struggle, made a low rise and started toward the shore. Her labored flight indicated a heavy burden, and even from a distance it was evident that she had struck an unusually large fish. With manifest effort she tugged at her task with the chances in her favor, when from a high dead stub of a tall pine, a male eagle with rapid flight descended from above and struck the fish hawk in the back so that she was almost capsized in the air, the fish being above her. With rapid beating and fluttering of the wings she righted herself and with increasing effort proceeded on her way. The eagle also righted, and with nervous speed, again rose above his victim and after two small circles with extending neck and outstretched feet, he shot once more down upon his prey. This time the force of the impact completely overturned the hawk, who, beginning to fall, let go the fish, recovered her equilibrium, and made off. The eagle with the swiftness of an arrow struck for the falling mullet and captured it before it struck the water. As he headed for the shore, the first few strokes of the wing disclosed that he had a burden greater than he could bear, for his flight was staggering, the wing beats short and unsteady, and although making efforts to rise, he began slowly to lose elevation. Immediately these conditions became evident, he shrieked out a clear, high whistle, that would put to shame the most popular policeman on the beat. This cry of warning was answered almost instantly by a long, quivering squeak, like that of "a young pig, stuck in a gate," and with a rustle as of a mighty wind, his mate bolting from the forest, swooped down toward her spouse. As they approached each other, the striking comparison in size became manifest; the wide, far-reaching wings, deeper, broader tail, larger body and greater weight of the female were plain to see. Renewing her warning squeal that seemed to be torn from her palpitating throat, she bore down toward him with firm, sure wing, when the male bird dropped the fish and flew away without apparent concern. The female, with a deadly grip, seized the prize, and with a confident, steady and jauntily sustained flight, rose lightly in the air as if to prove her worth, and bore it safely to the nest, now plainly visible in the high crotch of the tallest pine of the forest.

Berkeley, California.

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