American Game 63 



quail. This bird is more abundant near the settlements, 

 and rather scarce in the wilder parts of the state. 

 There are a great many quail in Florida at the present 

 time, notwithstanding the heavy draughts made each 

 year on the covers. Writers have asserted that the 

 woodcock was not to be found in Florida. This is 

 incorrect. The bird is among the game-birds of this 

 state, but is not common. Wilson's snipe, which is 

 always a favorite bird with sportsmen, is very plentiful 

 during the winter months and in favored places. Some 

 grand sport may be secured by the snipe shooter, Octo- 

 ber to January being the best months to hunt these 

 birds, and in the interior of the state they are most 

 abundant. 



Plover, curlew, and nearly all the shore-birds are to 

 be found in myriads ; they are most abundant on the 

 gulf coast. Duck and geese are also present in 

 countless flocks; among the duck are the mallard, 

 black duck, pintail, blue-winged teal, green-winged teal, 

 cinnamon teal, and butterball. In addition to the 

 water-birds named are plume-birds of great variety. All 

 the feathered game but turkey and quail is migratory. 



Dove shooting is recognized as a legitimate sport in 

 Florida. While the alligator is not classed among the 

 best of game, yet it receives the attention of sports- 

 men, and it requires considerable skill to kill one of 

 these saurians. 



Wild geese are common from Cedar Keys to the 

 Alabama line on the gulf coast. These birds are less 

 abundant in the northern section of the east coast. 



The Indian and St. John rivers are two points most 

 of the non-resident sportsmen visit when hunting in 



