The Gray Kingbird 55 



stretched limb. The limb snapped close, and quickly re- 

 covering itself, the bird sailed away with the branch. 



March 4 I found another nest along Black Bayou in 

 Cameron Parish. It was in a small cypress standing al- 

 most isolated in the marsh, a very conspicuous nesting 

 site. One baby, only a few days old, and an egg pipped but 

 with the young dead were in the nest at this late date. This 

 nest was the most easil}' accessible of any found, but the 

 region itself was far from the ordinary path of man. Sev- 

 eral duck wings as. well as fish (horned pout and shad) 

 littered the nest, and the little fellow huddled off in one 

 corner was almost lost among the debris. 



Eagles are not molested as a rule. The stockmen claim 

 the old birds kill young sheep and pigs, but the trappers 

 and sportsmen consider them as friends, for when flying 

 low over the marshlands, they keep the game moving, and 

 many birds are brought to bag that otherwise would have 

 escaped. 



Louisiana State Museum. Neiv Orleans. 



THE GRAY KINGBIRD IN WAKULLA COUNTY, 

 FLORIDA. 



BY JOHN WILLIAMS. 



These birds occur here along the shores of the Gulf in 

 all congenial situations. They seem to be extremely par- 

 ticular as to a locality for nesting, and as such sites are 

 not numerous within the limits of our county the birds 

 cannot be called abundant summer residents. 



They are to be found, for the greater part of their stay 

 with us, where there are a few scattered trees — Live Oaks 

 usually — contiguous to or at least but a short distance 

 back from the open waters of the Gulf or on the shores of 

 an extended bay. Broad salt-water marshes usually stretch 

 along shore on either side of these home sites, in which 

 abound Florida Clapper Rails {Rallus crepitans scotti), 



