222 THE NATURALIST OF THE ST. CROIX 



been seeu, but they most always tui-n out some common affair. 

 I wish you could spend time to go south with me this winter. I 

 generally call to see all the naturalist folks in New York, Philadel- 

 phia, Washington, Charleston, etc. You would enjoy Florida — 

 there are so many new things to see at every place you go. 



Among the interesting things in Mr. Boardman's letters 

 are the following : "I have never had much experience 

 with the Red-tailed Buzzard or Hen Hawk. They are 

 not plenty with us but I have seen them in all the 

 plumages you name and have thought it took sev^eral 

 years for them to mature. It is the same with most all 

 hawks. It is also the same with eagles but owls appear 

 always about the same. It takes three years for the 

 Eider Ducks and about the same for the Herring Gull to 

 get into full plumage. I do not know of any good 

 description of its change of plumage." Writing from 

 Jacksonville, January 17, 1881, he says : "After receiv- 

 ing your letter telling me your friend thought there were 

 but few birds in Florida, I took my gun and dog and 

 was not gone from the hotel two hours but I brought in 

 nine Wilson Snipe, one Quail, one Killdeer Plover, I^arks, 

 Ground Doves, Carolina Doves, one Clapper Rail, 

 Cardinal red bird; while I also saw Robins, Red-shouldered 

 and Sparrow Hawks, Pewee, four kinds of Warblers, 

 three of Woodpeckers, Tit-larks, Creepers, Buzzards and 

 black Vultures, Bitterns, dozens of Sparrows, Shrike 

 Mocking birds, several Terns and Gulls, lots of Ducks, 

 Chuck Wills Widow, and all within a mile and a half of 

 Jacksonville Centre. A few years ago I came down with 

 my dog from up country to the hotel here and found 

 half a dozen men with guns and dogs who said they had 

 been here all winter and found no quail. Three of us 

 went out the next day and brought home ninety-two 



