ing about three feet in
length, while the osprey is only about two feet.

It is quite a grand sight to see these two large birds wheeling through
the air--the osprey trying to elude the eagle, diving first one way and
then another, until at last, when he sees the unencumbered eagle must
overpower him, in a fit of desperation he lets the fish drop, and the
eagle catches it before it reaches the water, and carries it to some
retired spot where he devours it.

And now the poor defrauded osprey must go to work and catch another
fish before he can have his dinner. Here you see the bald eagle with
his ill-gotten prey.

[Illustration: THE BALD EAGLE.]

Great flocks of ducks often come to fish in the shallow water close to
the shore. I suppose the reason that they come so near is that they
find smaller fish here than in the deep water; and another reason, they
are never shot at near the shore, for no fire-arms are allowed to be
discharged within the town limits, except under the penalty of five
dollars for each discharge.

This place, in winter, corresponds to a northern watering-place in
summer. There is a warm sulphur-spring here, and people come from all
quarters for health and for amusement. At first the great numbers of
birds all about attracted many sportsmen, but I am very glad to tell
you that the Florida people did not like this reckless shooting of
birds in their midst, so they made this beautiful little place--Green
Cove Spring--a city, and elected a mayor and a marshal, and other
officers, to keep the men straight, and to protect the birds.

So this is why the birds that live about this little city are so tame,
and why the ducks come so close to us; they have learned that they are
quite safe from guns here.

Several species of ducks may sometimes be seen in one flock, fishing
together in perfect harmony. It is quite astonishing how long they can
stay under water, and when they come up their feathers are not wet at
all.

The most beautiful of these fishing-ducks is the hooded merganser. Its
plumage is most elegant, and it has a large thick tuft or crest of
feathers covering the whole head, which gives it a sort of military
look; and, indeed, it seems to be a commander, for it leads all of its
relatives. It sometimes stays so long under the water that I begin to
fear something has happened,--that an alligator, or some other huge
beast, has got hold of it; but it always makes its appearance after a
while, o