DEPARTMENT OF MARINE BIOLOGY. 209 



birds and brown pelicans, a great white heron, a Louisiana heron, and some Florida cor- 

 morants were resting on the water, and a flock of white-bellied swallows were skimming 

 over the land and the sea. 



May 11. — We arrived at Newfound Harbor Key at noon. At 1 p. m. we visited the key 

 which has the Louisiana heron rookery on it. It is occupied by the usual group of man-o'- 

 war birds, a small flock of brown pelicans, mostly young, manj' of them fishing, at which 

 art they were still quite inexperienced. The Louisiana herons were breeding here in great 

 numbers this year. There was also a huge Ward's heron nest in the large tree standing on 

 the high ground in the center of the island. This nest contained an almost fledged young 

 bird. A second visit to this key revealed a young bald eagle seated on a dead limb. The 

 seventh key southwest of Big Pine Key is a mere clump of black mangrove bushes with 

 a sandspit. This sandspit contained as many as 50 least terns. They were not breeding at 

 this time, although their actions would indicate that they intended to use this key for a 

 nesting-ground. In the tall bushes at the opposite end of the island we found a huge nest 

 of the great white heron containing an almost fledged young, which we subjected to con- 

 siderable photographing, and which eventuallv we carried to Key West and sent by parcel 

 post to the Zoological Garden at Washington, where it has grown into an exceedingly fine 

 specimen of this magnificent species. Flying over this little key we also found Bahama red- 

 winged blackbirds, Florida yellow-throats, prairie warblers, and man-o'-war birds. 



May 12. — We made a list of the following birds: On the first key southwest of Big Pine 

 Key we saw a flock of about 2.5 least sandpipers, 6 black-belUed plovers, and about 25 

 semi-palmated plovers. In addition to these, we Usted Louisiana herons, redstarts, boat- 

 tailed grackle, Florida yellow-throats, Florida cardinals, and Key West vireos. On the 

 second key southwest of Big Pine Key we saw redstarts, a Cape May warbler, a red-eyed 

 vireo, a pair of Key West vireos, and a great white heron. The third key southwest of Big 

 Pine Key showed Florida yellow-throats, turkej' \'ulture, Ke}' West vireo, Florida cardinal, 

 gray kingbird, yellow-billed cuckoo, catbird, boat-tailed grackle, black-and-white creeping 

 warbler, red-bellied woodpecker, and a redstart. On the fifth key southwest of Big Pine 

 Key we saw a laughing gull, Florida j'ellow-throats, brown pehcans, and a gray kingbird. 

 The sixth key southwest of Big Pine Key was again visited and I photographed a young 

 Ward's heron in the nest. The young bald eagle was again seen on the same high dead limb 

 in the center of the island ; man-o'-war birds and brown pelicans were abundant as usual, 

 and I succeeded in shooting a clapper rail which was needed to positively determine the 

 species. This rail proves to be, according to Dr. Oberholser, a new subspecies which he 

 has named Mangrove rail. We also found Florida j'ellow-throats, a gray kingbird, and 

 boat-tailed grackles. The seventh key southwest of Big Pine Key furnished the follow- 

 ing: great white heron, laughing guUs, Bahama red- winged blackbirds, least terns, gray 

 kingbirds, Florida yellow-throat, and a Mangrove rail. The eighth and last key southwest 

 showed only 2 Louisiana herons. 



May 13. — In the afternoon we paid a visit to the United States Bureau of Fisheries Sta- 

 tion on Kej^ West, but observed only man-o'-war birds, green heron, and gray kingbird. 



May H. — On Stock Island the following list was obtained: Ward's heron, Louisiana 

 heron, green heron, least tern, royal tern, brown pelican, man-o'-war bird, and Bahama 

 red-winged blackbirds. 



May 15. — On the way to the Tortugas very few birds were seen between Key West and 

 our islands. Our list comprises man-o'-war birds, royal terns, and an occasional blue- 

 faced booby. Passing Bird Key showed that there were few birds on wing. On Loggerhead 

 Key the following were seen: sharp-shinned hawk, little sparrow hawk, man-o'-war bird, 

 least tern, yellow warbler, gray kingbird. 



May 16. — At Loggerhead Key 1 noted the following: 1 Bahama red-winged blackbird, 

 2 gray kingbirds, 1 3'ellow palm warbler, 1 female redstart, and 1 little sparrow hawk. At 

 Bird Key, the same day, I found the usual dense population of sooty and noddy terns, but 

 the sooties were mostly nesting on the ground on bits of sticks pulled together from the 

 dead rubbish. I shot a blue-faced booby with a very curiously mottled plumage. On our 

 return to Loggerhead Key I saw a little blue heron, man-o'-war birds, and a small flock of 

 barn swallows. 



May 17. — We visited Fort Jefferson on Garden Key and noted the following: Florida 

 yellow-throat, olive-backed thrush, black-poll warbler, yellow palm warbler, prairie warbler, 

 Cape May warbler, ovenbird, catbird, redstart, yellow-billed cuckoo, black-billed cuckoo, 

 red-eyed vireo; while flying about the fort could be seen man-o'-war birds, royal terns, 

 sooty and noddy terns, and a few least terns. On Bush Key the following were seen: man- 



