RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



The Roseate Spoonbill in Florida Rookeries. 



With the exception of perlia[)s the Flam- 

 ingo and Scarlet Ibis, there is no bird in 

 onr fauna so trnl\- tropical in appearance as 

 the Roseate Spoonbill, Ajaja rosea. It is 

 called in Florida, Pink Curlew — accent on 

 last syllable — and the Seminole Indian 

 name is A-la-loo-la-set-tee. 



My acquaintance with this bird was in 

 1874, when I was just beginning my- collect- 

 ing career, and my enthusiasm was unim- 

 paired. I had seen only the young Spoon- 

 bill, which is of a light pink color nearly all 

 over, and should have been quite satisfied 

 to have secured even these. The reports 

 received, however, were very discouraging, 

 one party presuming to state that their de- 

 struction had been so great, that probably 

 not one hundred remained in Florida. As 

 may be imagined, our expectations were not 

 great, but there was for us more in store than 

 our fondest dreams had hoped to realize. 

 But to return to the beginning. 



We were encamped eight miles west of 

 Fort Pearce, which stands nearly opposite to 

 Indian River Inlet, and all of our ramblings 

 were in Brevard County. We had been to 

 one rookery on Feb. 28th, but it was a small 

 affiiir, only American Egrets and Snake Birds 

 breeding in it, and we obtained but few eggs. 

 But now our guide said he would take us to 

 a larger one where the Spoonbill was breed- 

 ing. But we believed him not, for the pre- 

 vious fortnight had chronicled only disap- 

 pointments. After various delays we ob- 

 tained a boat, if such it could be called, but 

 scoio would be more appropriate, for it was 

 a square-ended contrivance, twelve feet b}' 

 four feet. This was placed upon the ox-team 

 and all our camping equipage put into it, 

 and a start made March 6th. 



There is so little of interest in the pine 

 woods that cover most of the high land, 

 that we will pass to our entrance of the Sev- 

 enteen Mile Swamp, said to be the head- 

 waters of the St. Johns River. This tract 

 is not properl}' a swamp, but is inundated 

 by the rainy season, and at the time of our 

 visit the water covered it to a depth of six 

 to twelve inches. Here and there were 

 places entirely uncovered, and numerous 

 snipe borings were to be seen. Two weeks 

 previous, Wilson's Snii)e were very plentiful, 

 liut only an occasional straggler now re- 

 mained, the greater portion being en route 

 north. Throughout this great expanse. 



! dotted here and there were what we were 

 pleased to call oases, likening this watery 

 waste to a desert. These oases are called 

 " hammocks," but are properly hummocks. 

 These are the fertile spots upon which is 

 a luxuriant growth, of which the Cabbage 

 Palm figures most prominently. These fer- 

 tile spots were generally small, from a few 

 square yards to an acre in extent. This 

 watery tract presented a giand appearance, 

 for, grouped in every direction, were the her- 

 ons engaged in feeding. There were the 

 strikingly graceful forms of the American 

 Egrets and Snowy Herons, a bold contrast 



'' among their dark cousins, the Louisiana, 

 Great Blue, and Little Blue Herons. 



Their forms, as with measured strokes they 

 flew, their feet extended behind, and their 

 necks recurved sothatthcir heads seemed to 

 protrude from their breasts, were in maiked 

 contrast to the swift-flying rows of White 

 Ibis, with their necks extended. Occasion- 

 ally a few Gannets (Wood Ibis) appeared. 



i or some Sandhill Cranes, while the Turkey 

 Buzzards and Carrion Crows were rarely ab- 

 sent from the scene. But the most peculiar 

 bird of all is the Snake Bird, commonly called 

 Water Turkey, Plotns anhinya. Its wings 

 and tail are large, while its neck is long and 

 very slim, and as it sails about in the air it 



I resembles an ace of clubs with a single line 

 drawn from the joining of the three lobes. 



' These sights, as well as the various notes of 

 the birds, among which the loud notes of the 

 Sandhill Crane were most noticeable, all 

 served to keep up a thrill of excitement. 

 We chose for our camp one of the largest 



' of the hammocks, and I was left to put it in 

 order while my companion went to the rook- 

 ery with the boat. On his return he re- 

 ported seeing Spoonbills, and we were in ecs- 

 tasies. Our team was now dismissed for a 



; week, and we were left about ten miles from 

 any human haI)itation, and five miles from 

 the edge of the swamp. 



\ With the gobbling of the Wild Tuikeys at 

 daybreak we were awake, and shortly after- 

 wards a Cardinal Grosbeak tuned his mellow 

 whistle but a few yards away, while several 

 Jackdaws (Boat-tailed Grackle) were boil- 



i ing over with music, one would think, to see 

 them swell up in their vain attempts to make 

 some, but in the production of which they 



i are not more fortunate than the Purple 



j Grackles and Cow Birds. 



(To be ctrntimu'd 



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