2 70 SCOTT on the Bird Rookeries of Southern Florida. [October 



largely reduced in this way that it would be only a short time 

 when it would be almost impossible to find a turtle where, a few 

 years before, they had come to breed by hundreds. 



The birds I observed here to-day were much the same as those 

 already mentioned as found at the pass next below, except that 

 Cabot's Tern seemed to be more common, and that during the 

 several days of my stay here the Knot (Tringa camitus), the 

 Red-backed Sandpiper {T. alpina fiacijica), and the Sanderling 

 ( Calidris arenarid) were migrating north in flocks, which 

 were constantly passing at short intervals throughout the day 

 over the outer beach. Wilson's Plover, Least Terns and Wil- 

 lets were breeding in considerable numbers, especially the two 

 former species, which were to be seen almost everywhere on the 

 sands. The Turnstone {Strefisilas inter fires) was also migrat- 

 ing north in flocks of from four to twenty and were quite abun- 

 dant. 



About four o'clock this afternoon a 'sharpie' schooner, some 

 forty-five feet in length, came from the direction of Big Gaspa- 

 rilla Pass and anchored within two hundred feet of us. The 

 crew to the number of four at once went on the beach and from 

 the time they landed until dark there was a perfect fusilade. 

 Going over to see what they were doing, I found that they were 

 killing all kinds of shore birds and Least Terns. One of the men 

 told me that this was Mr. Batty's boat, and that they were col- 

 lecting birds for the 'plume market' ; that Mr. Batty was down 

 the beach shooting, and would be back for supper. They 

 had bunches of Wilson's Plover (breeding), Least Terns, and 

 various kinds of Sandpipers. These birds are skinned, partly 

 filled out with cotton, and at once wrapped up in paper and 

 packed away to be finished after reaching the North. They were 

 killing and preparing by these methods, during the time I was 

 near Mr. Batty's party, from a hundred to a hundred and fifty 

 birds a day. I called on Air. Batty later in the evening and 

 learned something of his work. 



Tuesday, May 25. This day was stormy with the wind 

 fresh from the northwest. In the moi-ning I went on the 

 beach with Mr. Batty, and we shot Knots, Black-bellied Sand- 

 pipers, Sanderlings, and Turnstones over decoys, all these species 

 being used by Mr. Batty in his feather business. At the same 

 time two of Mr. Batty's men were killing Wilson's Plovers, 



