Vol 'r9i9 XVI ] Williams, Birds of Goose Creek, Fla. 47 



surrounded by bulrushes and rank weeds. I passed this pond 

 nearly every day and always saw a trio of stately and imperturb- 

 able Greater Yellow-legs standing close together in or near its 

 center. Passing further back, the pine, scrub palmetto, and 

 grassy area is reached. Here the Yellow Palm and Myrtle War- 

 blers were abundant, and Phoebes, White-eyed Towhees, Maryland 

 Yellow-throats, Pine Warblers, Mockingbirds, Cardinals, Logger- 

 head Shrikes, and Brown-headed Nuthatches were fairly repre- 

 sented. This area passed, we reach the vast and magnificent 

 hammock lands supporting giant pines, magnolias, hickories, 

 cedars, sweet gums, live and white oaks, and an occasional cluster 

 of immense cypresses, everywhere interspersed with handsome, 

 graceful cabbage palmettos which often attain a height of at least 

 twenty-five feet. Underbrush is nowhere so dense as to impede 

 progress or observation to any serious extent. This hammock 

 was alive with birds. I could almost imagine that all the Ruby- 

 crowned Kinglets in America had congregated in those woods. 

 Brown Creepers were uncommonly numerous, and Hermit Thrushes 

 were abundant. Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers were 

 quite common, and I had the great satisfaction of seeing and listen- 

 ing to the imperious notes of no less than half a dozen majestic 

 Pileated Woodpeckers. Nestled down in the very bosom of this 

 hammock, I ran across a small, grassy pond, completely surrounded 

 and hidden from view by a dense fringe of tall saw grass growing 

 in the black mud out to the very water's edge. My companion 

 that day was Miss Alice Corry of Quincy, Florida, a charming 

 and enthusiastic young lady, who had gone out with me to learn 

 what she might about the birds of the region. We felt sure that a 

 few Wild Ducks must be feeding in this pond, but the problem 

 was how to find it out without flushing them before we could come 

 into range for a shot. We cautiously entered the saw grass, but 

 quickly discovered that if we would reach the edge of the water 

 we must suffer laceration of our hands and the discomfort of wet, 

 muddy shoes and clothing. Nevertheless, we persisted, and upon 

 reaching an open view of the pond I saw, well within gun range, 

 a female Wood Duck energetically feeding in some open water 

 between two grassy plots. The bird took no alarm at our presence 

 and continued its quest for food. As this species is not now very 



