BY EDWARD DOUBLEDAY. 405 



and consequently a young one, — and observed the nest: the 

 leaf, when not fully expanded, curves upwards and outwards 

 from the centre rib; just on the side of this rib was the nest, 

 of rather irregular form, and about the size of an orange, 

 attached by a short footstalk to the leaf. I might, perhaps, 

 compare the nest to a round, not conical, wine-glass, with the 

 foot, and all but about three quarters of an inch of the stem, 

 broken off. There are about fifty cells, which open at the 

 top. I found only three or four of the perfect insects about : 

 I caught three of them. Close to the old nest, a new one was 

 begun ; it consisted only of a foot-stalk and three small cells, 

 one having an egg in it. I have preserved both the nests. 



January 21, 1838. — It is now quite winter, cold and wet; 

 thermometer at 43°. We shall soon have spring : some of the 

 Andromedw, and the shrubby Vaccinia, are opening their pretty 

 white flowers, and the lovely Carolina jasmine is beginning to 

 perfume the air with its large yellow flowers. It is a small 

 climbing plant, or rather shrub, with lanceolate and evergreen 

 leaves, and a large yellow flower about the size and form of a 

 fine Solpiglossus pictus, or intermediate between that and Mau- 

 randija Barclayana ; it is a very profuse flower, extremely 

 fragrant. I do not recollect seeing this plant cultivated in 

 England, but I think it would be hardy. Pinguicula pimiila is 

 out in plenty, and Viola lanceolata, a white species with long 

 lanceolate leaves. Higher up the river, the Seville oranges 

 hang over the banks in full bearing. What a paradise I could 

 make of a garden here ! The roses thrive beautifully. As to 

 fruits, the orange, lemon, citron, peach, apricot, nectarine, fig, 

 and vine grow admirably. There is scarcely a vegetable but 

 would flourish here. We have green peas now. 



There is a kingfisher which keeps close to the house, and 

 amuses me much ; he flies chattering along the shore, and 

 alights on a dead tree, in the attitude figured by Nuttall, and 

 sits quiet in that position ; then, flying off, hovers over the 

 water like a kestril. There is also a bald eagle or two about, 

 and I hope to obtain one. I saw a mature and an immature 

 one evidently paired. There are thousands and tens of thou- 

 sands of cormorants going up and down the river, also ducks, 

 terns, and tropic birds ; and I have seen several spoonbills, 

 and some curlews with longer bills than our own. I have 

 seen many scarlet grosbeaks in the woods, and have once 



