44 TRANSACTIONS OF THE WAGNER FREE 



this water-bound islet, which is reputed to be one of the most favored of 

 the Floridian heronries. We observed towards night-fall large flocks of 

 the white ibis migrating hither, and similar departures in early morning. 

 The great white heron and the egret were also sufficiently plentiful, but 

 perhaps less so than the water-turkey or snake-bird, whose stoical but 

 uncouth presence gave life to the miniature wilderness. 



The only other animals beyond birds collected on the island were a 

 few insects, a scorpion, several centipedes (lulus), and species of Limnca, 

 Planorbis, Physa, and Cyclas. 



TAYLOR'S CREEK. We spent somewhat more than two days in the 

 exploration of this stream, anchoring a short distance above its mouth 

 in eight feet of water. The width of the channel is at this point several 

 hundred feet, and remains uniform, with a nearly uniform depth of 

 water, for not much less than a half-mile, or even more, beyond which 

 it gradually begins to contract, but without shallowing to any extent. 

 In how much this " creek " is a true creek in the ordinary acceptation of 

 the word, or a simple bayou opening out from the lake, we were unable 

 to determine, owing to the vast masses of floating vegetation, water-lettuce 

 principally, which choke the different channels in their upper courses, 

 and permitted a furthest penetration to our skiffs of probably not more 

 than two or two and a half miles. I found an unmistakable outward 

 current during my first ascent of the creek at a distance of over a mile 

 from its mouth, and up to the furthest point reached by me, but whether 

 this was a natural current, or one produced as the result of direct wind 

 action, or as depending upon a recession of the waters of the lake, could 

 not be satisfactorily ascertained. During my second ascent, on the day 

 following, the water over the same stretch, or over a part of it, was either 

 stationary or slightly receding in the opposite direction. There can be 

 no doubt, whatever, that the direction of flow up to the farthest point 

 reached by us is largely influenced by the condition of the lake the 

 rise and fall of its waters as depending upon wind action, and not impos- 

 sibly, also, tidal influences. The absence of shore-lines and of other 

 necessary data rendered impossible, during the short period of our stay, 

 the determination of the actual existence of tidal action in the lake. 

 From a periodic rise and fall of the water in the mouth of Taylor's 

 Creek, measuring some eight or ten inches, but which did not occur at 

 equal periods of time, I am inclined to believe that such action does exist, 

 although the question can, perhaps, still best be considered an open one. 



The great body of Taylor's Creek opens out from the lake northward 

 for about three-quarters of a mile, or a full mile, is then deflected north- 

 westward, and after about a quarter of a mile divides into two main arms 

 or branches, one of which is directed to the west and the other con- 



