THE OSPREY. 



An Illustrated Magazine of Popular Ornithology. 



Publisher! |Vlontbly. 



Volume V. 



OCTOBER, 1901. 



Number 10. 



Original and Selected Articles. 



SOME BIRDS OF THE KISSIMMEE VALLEY, FLORIDA. II. 

 By Wmuii I'm. mi. k. Washington, D. C. 



16. Litti.e Blue Heron. {Florida cosrulea). 

 Fairly numerous, the white phase being' the 



most abundant. This was the only Heron to 

 which one conld walk openly to within gunshot, 

 and several times, while standing' motionless, I 

 have had them come within forty yards evident- 

 ly inspecting- me. One that I shot by simply 

 walking up to it was a fully adult bird, though 

 white. The dorsal feathering had more or less 

 dark centers though hardly noticeable owing- to 

 the overlapping- of the feathers. An adult, blue 

 phase, female bird shot March 20, had the head, 

 neck and back plumes still in an unfinished 

 moulting' condition. 



17. Green Heron. (Butorides virescens). 

 Fairly common, especially at the end of our 



stay. I found a nest containing one egg well 

 incubated, on March 23. It was in a willow 

 bush growing in about four feet of water, and 

 while standing in the boat I could look down 

 into the nest. 



18. Black-crowned Night Heron. {Nycti- 

 corax naevius). 



Common in the river swamps where they both 

 roost and feed. 



19. Yellow-crowned Night Heron. {Nyc- 

 tanassa violacea). 



Common on the Kissimmee River at its upper 

 end; not seen at Orange Hammock. 



On several occasions solitary individuals (on 

 March 20, a pair) of what appeared to be a dif- 

 ferent species of Heron than any given above 

 were seen. Larger than the Reddish Egret, 

 they appeared to be of a uniform pale slatv color 

 all over, though perhaps lighter on the back. 



20. Sand-hill Crane. (Grus mexicand). 

 Except once, always seen in pines in the 



prairies: only once did I see a bird alight at the 

 edge of the river. 



21. Limpkin. {Aramus giganteus). 



More abundant above Lake Kissimmee than 

 below. Killed by everybody for food. We pro- 

 bably did not see and hear more than a dozen. 



22. Virginia Rail. {Rallus virginianus). 

 One seen. 



23. Carolina Rail. [Porzana Carolina). 

 A few seen; very tame. 



24. American Coot. {Fulica atnericand). 

 Extremely abundant in flocks among the "lily 



pads" and weeds in the river shallows. They 

 are very noisy. 



25. Florida Gai.j.inui.k. [Gallinula galeatd). 

 Not seen until March 17, usually in pairs. 



26. Jack-snipe. (Gallinago delicata). 

 Abundant along- the banks of the river. Often 



four or five would rise at once, and several times 

 I saw small flocks of eight or ten. They were 

 moulting during- the last half of March. 



27. Eastern Dowitcher. [Macrorhatnphus 

 griseus). 



Saw one from the deck of the steamer on 

 March 23. 



28. PecTorial Sandpiper. (Tringa macu- 

 la/ a\. 



Saw one large flock maneuvering on the eve- 

 ning of March 14, over wet meadows along the 

 river. 



29. Skmipal mated Sandpiper. (Freunetei 

 pusillus). 



S;iw one with some Kildeer in a prairie pond 

 on March 20, in Osceola county. 



30. Yeli.ow-i.egs. (To/a/n/" melanoleucus). 

 Not common, single birds usually seen with 



the next species. 



31. Lesser Yellow-legs. {Totanus flavi- 

 pes). 



Not common, usually in small Hocks of three 

 or four along shore. 



32. Spotted Sandpiper. (Actitis macularia). 

 ( hie seen at Drigg's, March 18. 



33. Hudsonian Curlew. (Xumt-iuus hudso- 

 nius)? 



A few seen flying. 



34. Kildeer. [Aegialitis vocifera). 

 1 ',< niiiiion and noisy. 



35. Florida Quail. 

 floridanus. 



Common, especially 

 "islands" at the edges 

 birds collected were in 

 none paired or nesting, 

 each 9.13 inches long, and one 13.63 in extent the 

 other being 13.75. Four females were as follows: 

 9.25 x 13.63, 8.75 x 13.75, 9 x 13.75, 9.25 x 14.25. 



1 Colinus virginianus 



about the palmetto 

 of the prairies. All 

 poor plumage. Saw 

 Two males measured 



