Kennard, On the Trail of the Ivory-bill. Ljan. 



the country, generally in order to make better pasturage for their 

 cattle; but in this particular region where there are no cattle, in 

 order to burn out the thickets and jungle, which would otherwise 

 become impenetrable, and to supply food and convenient hunting 

 grounds for deer and turkey which come out on the "burns" to 

 feed on the fresh young growth. 



We stayed here until the 19th, wading the swamps, beating the 

 brush, or exploring the neighboring savannahs; collecting a few 

 birds here and there, and filling our larder with turkeys and veni- 

 son, both fresh and smoked, but always keeping in mind the main 

 object of the expedition, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Pileated 

 Woodpeckers there were in plenty, and I would not even try to 

 guess the number of miles we foolishly traveled after large wood- 

 peckers and strange noises that we thought might perchance 

 emanate from an Ivory-bill. They were always Pileateds. 



In the swamps there were herons galore; Ward's, Louisianas, 

 Little Blues, Greens, and Black-crowned Night Herons, Wood 

 Ibis or Flint-heads as they are locally called, bunches of White 

 Ibis, numbers of American Bittern, and an occasional Egret. In 

 the main swamp also were numerous fresh tracks of otter, bear, 

 several large alligators, to say nothing of flocks of little fellows. 

 Along the edges the joyous Carolina Wren was almost always in 

 evidence, while on the hammocks numbers of Florida Quail and 

 Mourning Doves flew up almost from under our feet. Florida 

 Barred Owls were everywhere, and as usual particularly loquacious, 

 and Tom could talk their language better than anyone I ever heard. 

 Turkey Buzzards were always soaring somewhere in sight, particu- 

 larly when we had meat hung up; and a pair of Florida Sparrow 

 Hawks had a nest in an old pine stub close beside the camp. There 

 were warblers in the tree tops, particularly in the cabbage palms, 

 where they, as well as almost every other bird in the vicinity, 

 seemed to find food among the ripe fruit that hung there. Even 

 the Pileated Woodpeckers fed freely on the berries. 



There were turkeys here, singly, in pairs and in flocks; some- 

 times two or three of them would stampede right through camp 

 while we were sitting there, perhaps skinning one of their relatives; 

 while in the mornings and evenings we could always hear the old 

 gobblers a-gobbling from their chosen perches. 



