THE OKEECHOBEE EXPEDITION. 235 



white bird, &quot;as tall as a man,&quot; which the native Flori- 

 dans called a &quot; stork.&quot; Last year the young of this bird 

 was taken from a nest and brought to Fort Capron, 

 where it was kept till over six months old. The plu 

 mage of this bird was white from the first. It was a 

 whooping crane, if the description of its possessors was 

 correct, as it agreed exactly in specific characteristics 

 with the description of the whooping crane. For many 

 years these birds have roamed over the Alligator Flats, 

 and about the prairies of the headwaters of the St. 

 Johns. Their large size and loud cry have always made 

 them conspicuous, and the &quot;cow hunters &quot; of the back 

 woods, not knowing any other bird so large, have given 

 them the name of &quot; stork.&quot; The sand-hill crane is very 

 plentiful here, and there is no cause for the belief that 

 the two species are confounded. The great white heron, 

 the (Audubonia Occident alls), is the only other bird 

 approaching the whooping crane in size, and likely to be 

 mistaken by ignorant people for it, and the supposition 

 that it may be this species is precluded by the habits and 

 habitat of that bird. We think this the first recorded 

 instance of the discovery of this species in Florida, 

 though we may be mistaken. 



The Everglade kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) has been 

 shot upon the St. Johns prairies by your correspondent, 

 and he believes that he will find the eggs of that bird 

 this season. The specimens procured were in the adult 

 and young plumage. 



Authentic information of the discovery of the eggs 

 of the paroquet (Conurus CaroUnensis), has been ob 

 tained, and it is confidently expected that they will be 

 secured the coming season. 



Indian river in April is as beautiful, its skies as 



