extreme and thoroughly in keeping with the dying, flooded 

 forest which they inhabit. The male birds showed black as 

 ink against the sky, except when their white-streaked backs 

 were turned towards us, while the beautiful yellow-fawn 

 color of the females' head, throat, and upper breast was 

 clearly distinguishable even at a distance of one or two 

 hundred yards. On April 20th, when we made a second 

 vain attempt to secure a female, we found them much more 

 difficult to approach and were obliged to keep carefully con- 

 cealed and to make as little noise as possible, as we pushed 

 and pulled the punt over the deep dark-colored water which 

 hid the submerged forest-floor. 



It is hard to say how large is the colony of Anhingas 

 which has its summer headquarters in the flooded lands near 

 Otranto. Probably the birds are not numerous, though it 

 may be that others inhabit other parts of the reservoir 

 which we have not yet explored. At all events, it is inter- 

 esting to know that a colony is established within a half- 

 hour's ride by rail from Charleston. The birds will un- 

 doubtedly breed in the reservoir and probably they will en- 

 joy a successful season, since these Goose Creek lands form 

 part of a game preserve. 



The flooded forest where we found the Anhingas is also 

 the hunting ground of innumerable woodpeckers who find 

 food in plenty under the loose, peeling bark of the dead 

 pines. The big Pileated Woodpecker or "Old Kate"— the 

 rarest of its family in most parts of the coast country — is 

 here the commonest species, hammering noisily on the upper 

 branches of the decaying pines and utt ering continually the 

 loud, high-pitched laugh with which it is accustomed to 

 greet its fellows. The trees are full of large round holes 

 probably made by the "Old Kates", and the birds must at 

 present be laying or incubating their eggs, though we saw 

 none of them entering or leaving the holes. 



In the more open parts of the flooded woodlands, where 



38 



