268 Chapman o?i Birds ob<.ey~>cd at Gainesville, Florida. [July 



here ; today it is comparatively deserted, the result of merciless 

 persecution by plume hunters. One other locality remains to be 

 noticed, — an almost impassable swamp, known as 'Sugar-foot 

 Prairie,' a favorite breeding ground for several species of Herons. 



March 8, I visited this place and my notes for that day record : 

 Great Blue Heron, Great White Egret, and Little White Egret, 

 all common ; Little Blue Heron, abundant ; Black-crowned 

 Night Heron, one; Bittern, three. April 17, 20, and 21, I 

 again went there and the total number of Herons seen on the 

 three days was : Great Blue Heron, two ; Great White Egret, 

 one; Louisiana Heron, one; Little Blue Heron, ten. 



Later I learned that a plume hunter's camp, with its pile of 

 decaying carcasses, had been found there, and the cause of the 

 disappearance of the Herons was no longer a mystery. 



Tlie following notes are based almost entirely on observations 

 made from November 27, 1886, to May 27, 18S7; for, although 

 a return was made to the same locality the following winter, 

 my stay was a comparatively short one and permitted but little 

 additional work. 



All data, therefore, unless the contrary is stated, refer to the 

 first mentioned period. I have to thank Mr. Roth Reynolds for 

 permission to examine a number of Gainesville birds in his pos- 

 session, mounted by himself, mention being made in each case 

 when a record is based on such examination. 



For comparison I append the mean temperature of each month 

 during the winter and spring of 1SS6-7 : December, 53.2° ; Janu- 

 ary, 50.9°; February, 66.4°; March, 61.8°; April, 68.6°; 

 May, 77.1°. 



1. Podilymbus podiceps. Pied-billed Grebe. 'Die Dipper.' — Com- 

 mon ; none were observed after April 27. 



2. Urinator imber. Loon. — From March 31 to April 17 about fifteen 

 were seen flying over at a great altitude. 



3. Anhinga anhinga. Anhinga. — Three extremely wild birds win- 

 tered among the cypresses on the lake; April 12 two flocks of seven or 

 eio-ht each were seen passing over, and on the 26th a flock of six more. 



4. Lophodytes cucuUatus. Hooded Merganser. — A rare wintei 

 resident. 



5. Anas boschas. Mallard.— Not uncommon. 



6. Anas obscura. Black Duck. — Not uncommon. 



The Florida 151ack Duck was not found, and was unknown to local 



;portsmen, even as a 



immer resident. 



7. Anas strepera. Gadvvall. — A female was taken February 8, the 



