1887] Scott on the Bird Rookeries of Southern Florida. 283 



Beside the Terns, all of the species of beach "birds spoken of at 

 Little Gasparilla and Casey's Passes were observed here, migrat- 

 ing north in small flocks, but the aggregate would mount up to 

 large numbers ; and, I can not but confess my surprise at this 

 flight, so late in the season, of species that breed so very far 

 north. 



I met at this point a Mr. Edward Curry, whose post office ad- 

 dress is Bonifacio, Hillsboro County, Florida, who confirmed 

 very fully all that I had ascertained in regard to the destruction of 

 birds during the breeding season on this coast. 



Friday, June 4-Sunday, June 6. After leaving this pass on 

 Friday our journey back to Tarpon Springs was uneventful, and 

 I have fully discussed the ground we went over in the first paper 

 of this series. We reached Tarpon Springs early on Sunday 

 morning. As a result of this five weeks' cruise I had collected 

 in all about two hundred and fifty birds, which have already been 

 spoken of in detail. 



At Tarpon Springs I learned that J. H. Batty was at Trouble 

 Creek, a point six miles north of here, and later the men who 

 had killed birds for him there, told me that he bought all the 

 birds they could kill for him, except White Ibises. These included 

 the more common of the smaller land birds, which were appar- 

 ently as desirable as the water species. He took all Hawks and 

 Owls, and also the Florida Quail. The prices paid for these 

 birds in the flesh ranged from ten cents up to as high as seventy- 

 five cents, and even a dollar for some kinds, such as the Great 

 Blue Heron. 



The facts I have presented in these papers have been mainly 

 derived from my personal observation, and I have carefully 

 avoided giving any information supplied from outside sources 

 unless I felt sure that it was to be relied upon. 



It is scarcely necessary to draw any conclusions or inferences. 

 This great and growing evil speaks for itself. I have the name 

 and addresses of some fifty dealers in various towns in Florida 

 and the principal cities of the country. Merchants in New York 

 and other centres are buying every month the skins and plumes 

 of Florida birds. The price paid for such material, notwithstand- 

 ing the efforts made to create sympathy for the birds, and a feeling 

 against using the feathers for hats and other decorative purposes, 



