1890.] Mortimer on Habits of Florida Birds. 34 1 



Corvus americanus floridanus. Florida Crow. 



This variety of the American Crow seems to be more familiar 

 with man and sociable among its feathered neighbors than its 

 Northern relative. It is common to see it feeding about the 

 streets and vacant lots of Sanford, especially when the palmetto 

 fruit is ripe enough to eat. It associates freely with the Boat- 

 tailed and Florida Crackles, and also with the Red-winged Black- 

 bird and the Rice-bird, and I have seen flocks including all these 

 species enjoying themselves about the town. It always retreats be- 

 fore any small bird that undertakes to chase it, though it does so 

 apparently because it is too indolent to drive off its assailant, and 

 not on account of timidity. Omnivorous in the fullest sense, it is 

 always on the lookout for any edible morsel. I have seen Flor- 

 ida Crows attach themselves to the Osprey as soon as the latter 

 captured a fish, and tag it about as if to secure any scraps that 

 might fall during the meal. The Osprey is disturbed by this 

 intrusion and tries to strike the Crows with its wings if they 

 come too close. 



For several weeks I kept in confinement a Florida Crow that 

 had been injured by a shot. It became quite tame almost at the 

 first and ate every kind of food. It was particularly fond of the 

 larva; and spiders contained in the nests of the mud wasp and 

 would peck the cells open in order to obtain them. It was very 

 fond of bathing in a pan of water. When it recovered from its 

 injuries I set it at liberty, but was surprised to see that it stayed 

 about for a few days. It entered the house and explored every 

 room up stairs and down, and finding a pail of refuse scraps in 

 the kitchen, returned to feed from it several times after we sup- 

 posed it had left for good. 



The Florida Crow has a peculiar note that I never heard 

 uttered by any Crow at the North. It is a loud, rattling sound 

 something like the cry of the Cuckoo, and puzzled me much as 

 to its source until 1 detected the bird in the act of producing it. 



Quiscalus major. Boat-tailed Grackle. 



Boat-tailed Grackles are great insect eaters. Besides being 

 fond of palmetto fruit and other vegetable substances, they fre- 

 quent the beds of ' bonnets' or lily pads for the worms, etc., that 

 are to be found there, and I have also observed them pursuing and 

 capturing moths and other winged insects. 



