° '1919 J Erichsen, Birds of Liberty County, Ga. Sao 



some distance westward between Bryan and Liberty Counties, 

 we find that the latter is almost completely surrounded by bodies 

 of water varying in size from the broad ocean to a small creek. 

 Besides this, numerous small creeks traverse the interior, and 

 several ponds, caused chiefly by the overflow from the abandoned 

 rice fields, dot the county, particularly that section immediately 

 bordering the Altamaha River. In years past this was one of the 

 largest rice producing sections on the South Atlantic coast, but 

 little evidence of this now remains, the once symmetrical network 

 of irrigation canals now being but a labyrinth of canoe trails used 

 by gunners. 



But a small portion of the county is under cultivation, the large 

 areas of low swampy ground, covered much of the time with water, 

 together with the abandoned rice fields, unfit for any other use, 

 forbid any very extensive diversified farming. 



One of the most interesting experiences of my residence in the 

 county was the noting of many wild turkeys in the swamps, Liberty 

 County being probably one of the last strongholds of this species 

 on the coast of Georgia. 



Although so far as I know I was the only one in Allenhurst inter- 

 ested in bird study, I am indebted to many residents of the place 

 for courtesies extended, particularly to the Dunlevie Lumber Com- 

 pany, on whose motor car many trips were made out the tram road 

 to points of interest which were accessible for hurried visits only 

 by this means of transportation. 



It might be well to state here that expressions of the degrees of 

 abundance of individuals in the county refer only to the occur- 

 rence of the species during the nesting season of the period of my 

 residence. Many of my notes were written during my residence 

 in Liberty County and were intended for early publication, and 

 I have allowed them to stand unaltered, with the exception of some 

 few additions and omissions. 



1. Anhinga anhinga. Water Turkey. — On May 11, I located a 

 nest of the Water Turkey containing four eggs. It was built in a small 

 willow, growing in two feet of water near the margin of a large rice field 

 reservoir, and was placed about four feet above the surface of the water, 

 being composed of a few sticks loosely laid together. There are many 

 suitable nesting places among the abandoned rice plantations, and the 



