THE EVERGLADES 127 



siderable part of the foundation of these groves is 

 peat and in dry times it is very liable to fire, and 

 once begun it is well-nigh impossible to extinguish 

 it. These groves, despoiled of their only defense 

 against fire, are often wholly destroyed. So it 

 happens that while the draining of the Everglades 

 makes it possible for forests to spring up and flour- 

 ish in some places it is the cause of their destruc- 

 tion in others. 



The animal life of the Glades is most interest- 

 ing and especially so as regards the avifauna, or 

 rather, as regarded it. This was the home of the 

 flamingo, the terns and gulls, the scarlet ibis, and 

 the roseate spoonbill. Here too were myriad 

 egrets in dainty, snowy robes, the capricious brides 

 of the feathery kingdom. All gave life and color 

 to the great swamp. Still lingering here are the 

 strange limpkins Aramus vociferus that wail out 

 their " whee-ee-eu " ; also the equally strange 

 snake bird Anhinga anhinga which swims with the 

 body submerged and only the serpentlike head 

 and neck visible. There are herons, bitterns, 

 coots, ducks, the cormorant, the Everglade kite, 

 and many others, but the heydey of bird life has 

 passed and is passing. The wildcat makes its 



