DEPARTMENT OF IMARINE BIOLOGY. 173 



string. The birds were actually driven to the traps and while partaking 

 of the seed under them the string was pulled. Two of the men caught nine 

 in the course of the morning. They told me that they also obtain nonpareils 

 in the same manner, and other birds by trapping them in the bush. The 

 bobolinks are used for caging and are said to bring 25 to 35 cents apiece, 

 while the nonpareils in full plumage command as much as $1.25. 



May 1 . — Between Key West and Tortugas we noted a booby, also man-of- 

 war birds and royal terns. Bird Key, Tortugas, had been taken possession 

 of by the usual swarm of sooty and noddy terns, and there were also a few 

 laughing gulls, man-of-war birds, and royal terns. The latter seemed to be 

 quite partial to the stakes and buoys of the region, most of which had one 

 or more of these birds resting upon them. On a trip through Loggerhead 

 Key, from the station to the light-house, I noticed osprey, marsh hawk, 

 Florida red-shouldered hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, pigeon hawk, and prob- 

 ably a broad-winged hawk. These birds of prey were certainly very well 

 represented here, and Dr. Watson tells me they have raised a great disturb- 

 ance among the terns on Bird Key. I also noticed barn swallows, which 

 were resting on stakes and on the sand on the outer beach, looking quite 

 tired. A water thrush and a redstart worked about the laboratory. 



May ^.— Paid a visit to Bird Key, where, among the usual denizens, we 

 also noted male and female black-poll warblers. We next visited Fort 

 Jefferson on Garden Key. Inside of the fort we saw a pair of sharp-shinned 

 hawks, quite a number of redstarts, several olive-backed thrushes, 2 male 

 scarlet tanagers, a small flock of male bobolinks, a yellow palm warbler, 

 and an upland plover. About the moat on the outside were quite a number 

 of least terns, a few royal terns and laughing gulls, and several spotted 

 sandpipers. In the afternoon a trip was made from the station on Logger- 

 head Key to the light-house and the following were noted : 3 yellow palm 

 warblers, 1 female redstart, a pair of marsh hawks, many barn swallows, 

 quite a number of kingbirds, a pair of sharp-shinned hawks, 1 black-billed 

 cuckoo, a Wilson's plover, 2 kingfishers, several male bobolinks, and a 

 catbird. 



May 3. — On an early morning walk down the center of the island from 

 the laboratory to the light-house, and between this and the north point on 

 the north side of the island, the following birds were noted: Many barn 

 swallows, a somewhat lesser number of white-bellied swallows, 1 marsh 

 hawk, 1 catbird, many yellow palm-warblers (of which I saw 5 at one time), 

 a flock of male bobolinks, 2 kingbirds, a pine warbler, a sharp-shinned hawk, 

 a spotted sandpiper, a kingfisher, a black-billed cuckoo, a black-throated 

 blue warbler, several least sandpipers, 2 Wilson's plovers, a Florida yellow- 

 throat, a pair of redstarts, several sanderlings, a semipalmated sandpiper, 

 a water-thrush, a parula warbler, and a myrtle warbler. 



May 4. — Making a trip along the central pass after breakfast I saw the 

 following: A small flock of male bobolinks, 3 kingbirds, many barn swallows, 

 a black-throated blue warbler, a marsh hawk, and a yellow palm warbler. 

 Later in the day, at Fort Jefferson, I noted within its walls a pair of sharp- 

 shinned hawks, a pair of ospreys, and several yellow palm warblers. Along 

 the moat on the outside were spotted sandpipers, a Florida yellow-throat, 

 least terns, and royal terns. 



May 5. — On a trip froLi the laboratory to the light-house the following 

 birds were noted: Barn swallows in lesser number than noted heretofore, 

 a few white-bellied swallows (also in diminished numbers), yellow palm 

 warblers, a redstart, a parula warbler, a water thrush, a sharp-shinned 

 hawk, a spotted sandpiper, a kingfisher, a marsh hawk, and a goldfinch. 



