124 FLORIDA 



All this while, of course, I had kept a lookout 

 for birds, but, as I had expected, to compara- 

 tively little purpose. No doubt there were many 

 about us, but not for our finding. The shallower 

 and quieter edges of the river were covered here 

 and there with broad leaves of the yellow lily, 

 among which should have been at least a chance 

 gallinule, it seemed to me ; but neither gallinule 

 nor rail showed itself. Here, as everywhere, 

 buzzards and vultures were sailing overhead. 

 Many white-breasted swallows, too, went hawk- 

 ing over the grass, and once a purple martin 

 passed near me. Better still, he allowed me, in 

 one brief note, to hear his welcome voice. Like 

 the new leaves of the cypress, it prophesied of 

 spring. 



At intervals a heron of one kind or another 

 started up far in advance. One was snow-white, 

 but whether I was to call it an immature little 

 blue heron or a white egret was more than could 

 be made sure of at my distance. I recall, too, a 

 flock of ducks, a cormorant or two, speeding 

 through the air after their usual headlong man- 

 ner, a solitary red-winged blackbird, astray from 

 the flock, and the cries of killdeer plovers. 

 Kingfishers were not infrequent, two or three 

 ospreys came into sight, and once, at least, I 

 made sure of a Louisiana heron. A lean show- 



