'l915 Kennard, The Okaloacoochee Slough. 159 



another fine specimen of the much wanted hen; and gobblers could 

 be heard every morning among the neighboring pine islands. We 

 saw several hawks flying low and hunting over the prairie, that 

 Tom declared were Everglade Kites, but which I never got near 

 enough to shoot, and was unable to identify. I did, however, see 

 several Marsh Hawks. There were also Killdeer and a few Snipe 

 in some of the marshes, and we saw one bunch of about a dozen 

 Greater Yellow-legs. 



On March 20th when I had gone out early to see what the Bur- 

 rowing Owls were up to, I took the following notes, which may be 

 of interest as an account of the early morning bird life that imme- 

 diately surrounded us. 



"3 a.m. Awoke to find the moon about an hour high, and two 

 Horned Owls hooting in the pine woods to the southwest. Do 

 they always hoot as the moon rises, or is it that that is the only 

 time I ever happen to hear them?" 



"3.40 Black Ducks calling from slough to the eastward." 



"4.20 As I was walking over the prairie the Sandhill Cranes 

 began calling from all directions. Whether or not some of them 

 were first aroused by me I am unable to say." 



"4.35 A Chuck-will's-widow made a few calls." 



" 4.40 A Whip-poor-will after two or three preliminary throat 

 clearers, started in with seventy-six calls, as against one hundred 

 and eighty-eight I heard one make successively yesterday a.m." 



"4.45 I can hear two Horned Owls, one Barred Owl, which has 

 been hooting at intervals ever since T awoke, two Whip-poor-wills 

 and one Chuck-will's-widow, all calling at once. The Horned 

 Owls' notes sound thus: Whoo, who-who-whoo, whoo whoo; or 

 Whoo, ivho-who-whoo, who-who-whoo, whoo ivhoo; a far deeper tone 

 than those of the Barred Owl." 



" 4.50 Black Ducks again set up a squawking, Cranes are ' holler- 

 ing' all over the prairies, and it is beginning to get light in the east. 

 A Barred Owl is hooting close by, another in the middle distance, 

 and a third far off." s 



"4.55 Night Herons quawking, Florida Yellow-throats singing 

 in the nearby clumps of saw palmettos, and two Chuck-will's- 

 widows and one Whip-poor-will are apparently trying to sing each 

 other down." 



