By GEO. R. ROBSON, Esquimalt, B.C.
If one chanced to be in the neighbourhood of the Naas river in the early
spring of the year, when the bolachan (candle fish) run begins, he could
not fail to notice the large number of ducks gathered in the bays and
the eagles perched on almost every tree skirting the beaches, all on the
watch for the coming feast.
Sit down for a while and notice what is going on. Ah! there is a
fishhawk darting into the water of the bay. It is up again with a fish
clutched in its talons; see, there comes an eagle in full chase rapidly
overtaking the hawk which is now soaring up and up. It is useless; the
eagle soon rises above and swoops down on the osprey. The fish abandoned
and falling is followed by the eagle and caught before it reaches the
water. So it goes on day by day while the run continues.
At Nelson one Sunday afternoon when walking towards town, looking
towards the lake I saw a hawk rise with a fish, and sure enough an eagle
just starting in pursuit. (I pointed them out to my wife and children
who were with me.) They were coming in our direction, flying low.
Thinking the eagle might be driven off, I gathered a few pebbles, and
when the birds were almost above us threw them and shouted loudly. To my
surprise the hawk dropped the fish and both birds wheeled about and flew
in the direction of the lake. The fish fell in the brush about a hundred
feet away. I ran to the spot; there was a fine trout wriggling in the
grass. Jack Gibson, the drug store man, had appeared on the scene and
called out, "What have you got there?" "Oh, only to-morrow's breakfast,"
I replied.
[Illustration: _Guests at Kitchen Shower given for Miss Smith_]