1887. J Scott on the Bird Rookeries of Southern Florida. 2 I C 



found a lamentable scarcity of birds, and the Captain assured me 

 that ten years before, when on fishing trips in these same waters, 

 and at about the same time of year, the whole region fairly teemed 

 with bird life of all kinds. 



About 1 2 o'clock we returned to the sloop and got under way, 

 going through the pass in the direction of Punta Rossa. After 

 sailing along for some six or seven miles we came in sight of a 

 small island where many Brown Pelicans were breeding or about 

 to breed. We anchored and went to the island in question to 

 have a closer look at the inhabitants. The Pelicans, of which 

 there were some forty or fifty pairs, were just beginning to build. 

 There were also some Reddish Egrets, a few of which were in 

 the white phase of plumage. Beside these were many Ardca 

 rujicollls tricolor, some Ardca caudidissima, and a few Ardca 

 cgretta. None of the Herons, save a pair of Ardca vircsccns, 

 had begun to build ; the others were only looking the ground 

 over. I fancied that some of them had been driven to this point 

 from the large rookery found deserted the evening before. I 

 watched the rookery till dark, not firing at anything ; a great 

 many Herons of all the kinds above enumerated, as well as one 

 pair of A. /icrodias, many Florida Cormorants, White Ibises, 

 and additional pairs of Pelicans came to roost at the island. All 

 of them were very shy and suspicious, being startled by the 

 slightest noise or movement, and none of the birds would come 

 near the island until the small boat had returned to the sloop. 

 Just at dusk six of the so-called Peale's Egrets came in and 

 alighted on the mangroves close by me. I learned later that the 

 birds on this island had been much persecuted by gunners, and 

 that thousands of all the species seen here had formerly bred and 

 roosted at this point. Also that at one time many Roseate 

 Spoonbills (Aj'aj'a aj'aj'a) had made this a roosting place. 



Monday, May 10. In the morning we camped on the island, 

 about half a mile away from the rookery, and during the day I 

 added to my collection seven Reddish Egrets, one Peale's Egret, 

 and four other Herons, including a fine A. hcrodias. Among 

 the Reddish Egrets taken were three specimens which showed a 

 very considerable admixture of -white feathers on the head, 

 throat, and breast, thus approaching the Peale's Egret type ; 

 and there is no question in my mind but that the two phases are 

 forms of the same species. For further remarks on this matter 



