THE AUK: 



A (QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



VOL. VIII. April, 1891. No. 2. 



NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF THE LOWER SUWANEE 



RIVER. 



BY WILLIAM BREWSTER AND FRANK M. CHAPMAN. 



March ii, 1890, accompanied by Dr. C. Slover Allen of New 

 York City, Mr. Chapman left Branford on the Suwanee River 

 bound for the Gulf, a distance, by way of the river, of 120 miles. 

 March 19 Mr. Brewster joined the party; the mouth of the river 

 was reached March 26, and the trip concluded April i. 



In so hurried a journey through a densely wooded region any- 

 thing like thorough investigation was, of course, out of the ques- 

 tion. Previous experiences in Florida, however, had made us famil- 

 iar with the habits of man}' of the birds observed, while the 

 size of our party, there being two hunters in addition to our- 

 selves, permitted us to gain through oin- joint edbrts a fiiir idea 

 of the general character of the avifauna at this season. 



Mr. Du Bose, one of the hunters alluded to, desei-ves as assist- 

 ant more than passing mention. Rarely have we met a plain 

 backwoodsman who had given such close and intelligent atten- 

 tion to the habits of the birds and beasts among which his life 

 was passed. Conservative in his statements, on no occasion 

 could we question his evident accuracy, and in several instances 

 we were astonished at the extent of his original knowledge. 

 We say this concerning Mr. Du Bose not only as evidence of 



