GAME AND FISH /RESORTS. * 29 



where the hills are of inconsiderable height. In the southern part 

 of the State, a wide stretch of country known as the Everglades, is 

 annually submerged, and north of this country, the elevation does 

 not exceed two hundred feet. Florida is well supplied with har- 

 bors and bays, especially upon the Gulf ; the whole extent of her 

 coast line is 1,150 miles. The St. John's, Apalachicola and other 

 rivers, with their numerous tributaries, and the many lakes con- 

 nected with them, form a system of water communication with 

 the greater part of the inland. The northern and eastern coun- 

 ties are also accessible by railroads, and new roads are being con- 

 structed as the development of the country demands them. 

 Florida has vast forests of pine and live oak, dense swamps, cane- 

 brakes and prairie lands. The greater part of the State is unset- 

 tled, much of it has never been disturbed by the settler, and here 

 the sportsman will find game in all its primitive abundance, in- 

 cluding the varieties here mentioned : — 



Animals. — Panther, common in all the unsettled parts of the 

 State, lynx, abundant and do. ; grey wolf, some nearly black, not 

 common; grey fox, common; raccoon, very abundant; common 

 bear do ; red deer abundant but very small ; southern fox squirrel, 

 abundant, confined to pine woods, affords fine sport ; grey squirrel 

 very abundant and very tame ; grey rabbit, marsh rabbit, and 

 opossum, very common. 



Birds.— Wild turkey, quail, kill-deer, plover, Wilson plover, 

 piping plover, golden and black belly, veiy numerous ; woodcock, 

 not very abundant ; snipe very numerous, fly in large flocks and 

 cover the whole country ; red-breasted snipe very numerous ; 

 willet, yellow legs, and godwit, very common ; Hudson curlew 

 and Esquimaux, rare ; long-billed curlew abundant ; black-neck 

 stilt, rails, galannules, herons, cranes and ibis, all common. 



Ducks, Geese, elc. — Mallard, very abundant ; black duck, com- 

 mon ; pin-tail, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, blue-winged 

 shoveller, wood duck, scaup duck, red-head, all abundant ; bald 

 pate, canvas back, butter ball, ruddy duck, all common ; hooded 

 meganser, abundant ; Canada goose, common in western Florida. 



Fish. — Sheepshead, red-fish or channel bass, salt water trout, 

 drum, whiting, red-snapper, or grouper, black grouper, cobia, 

 pompano, cavalli, black fish, or sea bass, hog fish, croaker, black 

 grunt, skip jack, mullet, salt water catfish, shark, gar fish, or (saw 

 fish), angel fish, ray, skate, torpedo fish, great ray or devil fish. 

 The fresh water fish are the black trout, or bass, yellow perch, 

 sunfish, blue bream, red-bellied perch, goggle-eyed perch. 



Srevard County— 



Fort CafiroH, at Indian River Inlet, is an excellent point for the liunter or fish- 

 erman. There are red fish, red snapper, sheepshead, cavalli, red trout, sea mul- 

 let, pompano, Jew fish and tarpon, with other varieties, and a good game country 

 in the interior. Good board can be found at Captain Payne's. A short distance 



