﻿326 
  FAUNA. 
  

  

  woods, 
  were 
  grouped 
  around 
  the 
  camp-fire, 
  making 
  ar- 
  

   rangements 
  for 
  the 
  preparation 
  of 
  the 
  evening 
  repast, 
  

   when 
  an 
  owl 
  perched 
  over 
  head, 
  and, 
  seemingly 
  much 
  

   interested 
  in 
  their 
  proceedings, 
  startled 
  the 
  party 
  with 
  

   this 
  inquiry 
  : 
  " 
  Who 
  cooks, 
  who 
  cooks, 
  who 
  cooks, 
  for 
  

   y_o-u 
  a-1-1 
  ? 
  " 
  — 
  At 
  least, 
  8o 
  they 
  understood 
  him. 
  

  

  The 
  large 
  White 
  Pelican 
  has 
  been 
  killed 
  in 
  the 
  Mis- 
  

   sissippi 
  River, 
  near 
  Natchez, 
  in 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  June, 
  and 
  

   is 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  rare 
  in 
  our 
  waters. 
  

  

  The 
  Cormorant 
  flocks 
  to 
  our 
  secluded 
  lakes 
  in 
  im- 
  

   mense 
  numbers. 
  

  

  In 
  brilliancy 
  of 
  plumage, 
  none 
  of 
  its 
  tribe 
  can 
  match 
  

   our 
  wood 
  or 
  summer 
  duck. 
  It 
  remains 
  with 
  us 
  through- 
  

   out 
  the 
  year, 
  and 
  builds 
  its 
  nest 
  in 
  hollow 
  trees, 
  from 
  

   which 
  the 
  downy 
  unfledged 
  ducklings, 
  light 
  as 
  balls 
  of 
  

   puff", 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  fall 
  unharmed 
  to 
  the 
  ground. 
  

  

  Most 
  of 
  our 
  ducks 
  are 
  migratory, 
  and 
  visit 
  us 
  only 
  

   during 
  the 
  winter 
  months. 
  They 
  frequent 
  the 
  lakes 
  

   and 
  bayous 
  chiefly 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  bottoms, 
  and 
  those 
  

   of 
  our 
  other 
  rivers, 
  and 
  resort 
  in 
  myriads 
  to 
  the 
  marshes 
  

   and 
  creeks 
  of 
  the 
  sea-coast. 
  

  

  The 
  same 
  may 
  be 
  said 
  of 
  the 
  Goose 
  and 
  Brant. 
  

  

  The 
  Woodcock, 
  Rusticolar 
  minor, 
  is 
  occasionally 
  found 
  

   in 
  considerable 
  numbers. 
  Some 
  years 
  since, 
  they 
  were 
  so 
  

   abundant 
  in 
  Jefierson 
  County, 
  during 
  the 
  winter 
  months, 
  

   that 
  they 
  were 
  killed 
  at 
  night 
  b}^ 
  fire 
  hunting 
  between 
  

   the 
  cotton 
  rows 
  in 
  flat, 
  wet 
  situations. 
  Blinded 
  by 
  the 
  

   torchlight, 
  they 
  sufiered 
  themselves 
  to 
  be 
  stricken 
  down 
  

   with 
  small 
  rods. 
  

  

  Even 
  in 
  the 
  most 
  populous 
  neighborhoods, 
  the 
  Wild 
  

   Turkey 
  continues 
  yet 
  to 
  rear 
  its 
  young. 
  Within 
  a 
  few 
  

   miles 
  of 
  Natchez, 
  young 
  broods 
  are 
  yearly 
  produced. 
  

  

  The 
  wary 
  and 
  watchful 
  character 
  of 
  this 
  bird 
  prevents 
  

   the 
  entire 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  race. 
  

  

  