THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA 281 



studied, Georgia, north Florida, or the Carolinas, 

 intermediates in color and markings grading into 

 the other forms of wild turkey, or white-bellied 

 nuthatch, I now regard both these birds, not as 

 sub-species, but as well marked, specific forms. 



Also during this time I sent to my friend, Mr. 

 J. A. Allen of New York, a seaside sparrow, from 

 the salt-water marshes of Florida, knowing it to 

 be a new race. In the same way I placed a series 

 of a new kind of rail with the late George B. Sen- 

 nett, Esq., who was then writing a monograph on 

 the salt water rails of North America. I was 

 fully aware in sending him the bird that it was 

 undescribed, and he did me the honor to name 

 it after me. To Mr. Frank M. Chapman of the 

 American Museum of Natural History I for- 

 warded a series of the prototype of the Maryland 

 yellow-throat as it exists in Florida, which I felt 

 sure indicated at least sub-specific distinction. 

 In this matter Mr. Chapman agreed with me, and 

 duly described the new birds ; so that during this 

 period I had found in a country where naturalists 

 had been working for many years, six undescribed 

 forms of bird life. Nor was there effort on my 

 part in this direction. These were episodes in 

 the routine of work that was being carried on. 



In a manner satisfactory to ornithologists, I 

 established the specific identity of two supposed 

 different forms known respectively as the short- 



