DOWN THE ST. JOE RIVER 



The kildee is essentially a graceful bird, fly- 

 ing with a wavy, irregular flight and run- 

 ning swiftly and easily when on land. It 

 has a curious habit of ducking down some- 

 times as a boat draws closer, and this means 

 that it is going to fly away. Its colors are 

 black, brown, russet, and white, and are very 

 clear and distinct when the bird is alive, and 

 for a few minutes after death. But once the 

 bright black eyes are glazed, the bird actu- 

 ally withers, as a flower might, and the 

 gleaming tints of its plumage grow rusty very 

 quickly. They fly singly, in pairs, and in 

 groups, and when disturbed take wing with 

 a piercing, melancholy cry. Sometimes they 

 follow the line of the river, and at other 

 times they are away over the surrounding 

 hills, mere specks in the sunlight. 



They are scarcely worth shooting, for their 

 bodies are no bigger than those of blackbirds, 

 and their meat is hard and dry. But it is 

 great sport to take a small rifle and plant a 

 bullet close to them just to see them spring 

 into the air and dart away, their long wings 

 flashing in the sun and their strident cry of 

 " kildee, dee, kildee/' coming back as they 

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