iSS?.] Scott on the Bird Rookeries of Southern Florida. I 37 



Birds {Fregata aquila) roosted here each night, though these, 

 so far as I am aware, did not breed here. This was the state of 

 affairs existing on the northern of the two Anclote Keys six years 

 ago, according to my own observations, and those of Mr. Dever- 

 eaux, who was then my assistant. This morning in passing 

 these islands I saw but four Pelicans (thev were flying by), two 

 or three frightened Herons, and a few Gulls and Terns. It is safe 

 to say that not a dozen pairs of Herons breed at present on the 

 island, and that the other birds spoken of have all been driven 

 away or killed. Once, at this time of the year, a perfect cloud 

 of birds were to be seen hovering all dav over the islands, so tame 

 and unsuspicious that they had little or no fear of man ; but now 

 the place is almost deserted by birds and the few that are left have 

 become, by being hunted, as wary as the traditional deer. 



We sailed to-day as far as Little Clearwater Pass, where we 

 anchored and spent part of the afternoon and night. On the way 

 down to Clearwater Harbor we passed inside of Hog Island, sit- 

 uated to the east of it. Here another deserted heronry, — a small 

 mangrove island, which, when I passed it in 1SS0, had many 

 Herons breeding on it, — stood a silent witness of wanton destruc- 

 tion. At Little Clearwater Pass the birds noted were numbers 

 of Royal Terns {Sterna maxima) , Laughing Gulls and Black 

 Skimmers, a few Brown Pelicans and Willets, and Wilson's 

 Plover. We staid here all night. 



Saturday, May 1. The wind, which was blowing hard till 

 late yesterday, died out in the night, but at sunrise there was 

 almost a gale from the northwest, and we did not get away until 

 12.30 p. M., John's Pass, fourteen miles below, being the point 

 where we intended to harbor for the night. With a beam wind 

 this place was soon reached, and at 3.30 p. m. the sloop was 

 again at anchor in the little harbor inside of the Keys. 



It was important to reach here early, as I particularly wished 

 to observe a rookery which has been ever present in my mind since 

 visits to the same point in April, 1880. 



At that time I made two visits of a day and night each to this 

 same rookery, and among the myriads of birds that were breeding 

 and roosting, the particular abundance of the Roseate Spoonbill, 

 the Reddish Egret, and all of the common Herons, as well as the 

 White Ibis, will never be forgotten. It is enough to state with- 

 out going into great detail, that in one flock at that time were at 



