94 THE STORY OF A BIRD LOVER 



these birds would assemble on the bank of the 

 "run" just after dark — for they were somewhat 

 nocturnal in their habits — and begin a chorus 

 of this description, it will give some idea of the 

 din which prevented my sleeping the night after 

 our arrival. Charlie Hubbard was sent out to 

 drive the birds away, as I knew they were close at 

 hand. He did so, but had hardly returned to the 

 house before the uproar began anew. I sent him 

 back again, and after killing a number with a 

 stick, the rest w^ere sufficiently frightened to re- 

 main at a more reasonable distance. On sub- 

 sequent nights I had frequently to wage warfare 

 on these noisy creatures. 



The courlan is a kind of rail, the size of an 

 ordinary fowl, but with long legs, neck, and bill, so 

 that the bird stands something over two feet high 

 when erect. The plumage is of a beautiful brown 

 bronze, glossed with deep green and speckled with 

 irregular triangular-shaped silver-white spots. 



The other bird, which in all my subsequent 

 wanderings in Florida I have never once en- 

 countered, was the everglade kite or snail- 

 hawk. This is a bird not unlike the marsh- 

 hawk in general appearance, and decorated on 

 the rump with a similar conspicuous w^hite patch. 

 The male is a dark lead color, and the female 

 brown, somew^iat variegated with lighter markings. 

 Both the bill and claws of these hawks are partic- 



