THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA 271 



this classic ground was traversed. Here was the 

 home of the great white heron, a bird that for a 

 while was lost, like a number of other of Audu- 

 bon's discoveries. That is, for many years no 

 other specimens than those which he brought 

 back with him were obtained. Here, too, he saw 

 and described vast flocks of flamingoes, and, so 

 far as I am aware, no naturalist had seen this 

 great flock of flamingoes since Audubon's day. 

 It is true that local hunters, especially those in 

 pursuit of plumes, had reported the great flock 

 about to be described ; but the reader can imag- 

 ine something of my sensations on seeing for the 

 first time probably more than a thousand of these 

 remarkable birds in one great band. 



Eighteen miles east of Cape Sable three bays 

 make into the mainland. The water in these 

 bays and for miles outside of them is extremely 

 shallow, being rarely more than a foot deep, 

 while at ordinary tides the depth does not exceed 

 six inches. The bottom is muddy, the mud is 

 unfathomable and of the consistency of gruel, 

 making wading impossible and poling a boat 

 difficult. The shores are wooded with black 

 mangrove, " buttonwood," and cabbage palmetto, 

 beside some undergrowth of small shrubs. The 

 land is so low as to be flooded at spring tides. It 

 is therefore necessarily very damp, and is the 

 home of vast hordes of mosquitoes, which flourish 



