THE 00\OGIST 



151 



The Limpkin. 

 (Aramus vociferus) 



The Limpkin — a sort of connecting 

 link between tlie Cranes and the 

 Rails — is the only representative of 

 its family found in North America. 



The natural habitat of this peculiar 

 bird, so far as the United States is 

 concerned, is Florida, though It is 

 occasionally found as far North as 

 South Carolina, and is accidental in 

 Texas. It ranges throughout portions 

 of the West Indies and Central 

 America. In some places it is re- 

 garded as a game bird; in others the 

 natives have a strongly seated pre- 

 judice against using it for food. The 

 general color is olivaceous umber 

 brown. It is about 26 inches long, 

 and has an extent of wing of about 

 40 inches. It varies much in size 

 and proportions. 



The natural home of the Limpkin is 

 in the swamps, and its ordinary 

 habits are similar to the Rail. Its 

 food is mostly snails. Its nest is com- 

 posed of weeds, grass and the like, 

 forming a large mass with a depres- 

 sion in the center. Generally placed 

 among the tallest grasses not far from 

 the water. 



The eggs number from seven to a 

 dozen; though eight or nine is the 

 usual number. They are large beauti- 

 ful specimens, averaging 2-4 by 1.5-8 

 inches. The ground color is rufous 

 splashed usually at the larger end 

 with small burnt ochre spots. 



Formerly this bird was exceedingly 

 common in parts of Florida. There 

 are now but few specimens in most 

 I)arts of Florida where it was formerly 

 very common. One of our cori-espon- 

 dents, writing in regard to this bird 

 a few day ago stated, "The Lampkin 

 is now nearly gone. Where formerly 

 my collector could procure several 

 hundred eggs each season, a bird is 



now rarely seen, and the eggs are 

 practically unknown. 



The eggs of this species are among 

 the most beautiful and attractive that 

 the oologist can i)lace in his cabinet, 

 and we are illustrating in this issue, 

 one of the finest series of eggs known 

 at present, in the cabinet of Thomas 

 H. .Jackson, at West Chester, Penn- 

 sylvania. 



Announcement, 1911. 



During 1911 THE OOLOGIST will 

 be published as it has been during 

 the past year. We promise no more 

 for 1911 than we promised for 1910, 

 viz: eight pages of reading matter 

 and one half tone for each issue. 

 Anything more must be regarded as a 

 gratuity tendered by the present 

 management to its patrons. We ex- 

 pect to be able to continue along the 

 lines that we have followed since we 

 bought the magazine and do more 

 than we promise; but we do not 

 undertake so to do. 



However beginning with the first of 

 January, if we can accumulate 

 sufficient copy through the courtesy 

 of our contributors, we propose devot- 

 ing separate issues of THE OOLOGIST 

 to separate families of birds, grouping 

 all articles as near as may be relating 

 to each sei)arate family of birds in 

 different issues. 



At present it is our purpose to issue 

 the .January number devoted almost 

 entirely to the birds of the Isle of 

 Pines, concerning which little has 

 been written and almost noth- 

 ing published except what has 

 appeared in the columns of THE 

 OOLOGIST. 



The February issue will be mostly 

 devoted to the native Wild Fowl of 

 the North American continent and the 

 March issue to the Birds of Prey. 



