NORTH AMERICAN MARSH BIRDS 257 



Eggs.- The limpkiii lays from I'oiir to eight eggs; the hirger nmn- 

 bers are comparatively rare. The shape is ovate, somewhat rounded, 

 and the shell is smooth with a slight gloss. The ground color varies 

 from ' ' deep olive buff " or " cream buff " to " cartridge buff. " Some 

 eggs are splashed, chiefly near the larger end, with longitudinal blotches 

 of drabs and dull browns, such as " vinaccous drab," "drab-grays," 

 ''buffy brown," and "wood brown. " Others are more clearly spot- 

 ted with the same colors; and some are boldly spotted or blotched 

 at the large end with darker browns, "burnt umber, " " warm sepia, " 

 or "bone brown." The measurements of 40 eggs average 59.4 by 

 43.8 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 64 by 

 42.8, 62.5 by 47, 57 by 42, 57.5 by 40.5 millimeters. 



Plumages. — The downy young limpkin is completely covered with 

 long, thick, soft down; the color of the upper parts varies from "cin- 

 namon brown " to "smiff brown " ; it is paler on the sides of the head 

 iind b{>lly and almost white on the chin. The body plumage is ac- 

 quired first and the wings last; the bird is fully grown before the 

 wings arc half grown. The juvenal plumage is much like that of the 

 adult, in general appearance, except that it is softer and looser in 

 texture and the white markings on the back are smaller and more 

 restricted. A complete molt during the first spring, when the young 

 bird is about a year old, producers the adult plumage. 



Adults have a complete prenuptial molt, from February to April, 

 and a complete post-nuptial molt from August to November, with no 

 great seasonal difference in plumage. 



Food.— The limpkin seems to feed mainly on animal food, wliich 

 it finds in the swamps where it lives, such as various mollusks, crusta- 

 ceans, frogs, lizards, worms, and aquatic insects. Audubon (1840) 

 says: 



The Everglades abound with a species of large greenish snail, on which these 

 lairds principally feed; and, from the great number of empty shells which are 

 found at the foot of the nest and around it, it is probable that the sitting bird 

 is supplied with food by her mate. 



Dr. Henry Byrant (1861) writes: 



On the St. Johns it feeds principally on a species of Nalica, which is extremely 

 abundant, and also on the smnll Unios. The large green snail, so common in the 

 Everglades, is not very often met with on the St. Johns. Its manner of feeding 

 is to hold the shell in one of its feet, and then with a few blows of its powerful 

 bill to detach the animal, which it immediately swallows. All the specimens I 

 killed liad the stomach fille<l with more or less digested remains of various mol- 

 iusks — principally Unios. 



It is easy to detect the presence of limpkins by looking for the de- 

 posits of the empty shells of these snails. The birds have favorite 

 feeding places where they bring the snails; one can often find a nmu- 

 ber of empty shells around some old log or snag or on an open place 

 on a bank. 



