48 THE NATURALIST OF THE ST. CROIX 



to see them. I should be very much gratified to receive 

 a summary of your observations with liberty to use them. 

 I should of course give you the fullest credit therefor." 

 In both letters Mr. Allen asks numerous questions upon 

 which he wants information. The very day of the receipt 

 of this last letter, Mr. Boardman sent his list and notes 

 on Florida birds, accompanied by the followig letter : 



Milltown, Maine, Oct. 29. 

 Friend Allen: 



I send you today a list of birds from ray notes and think 

 I have taken them all off. I write them by the common name as I 

 am troubled to spell the scientific names correctly. If I had time 

 I would like to write you some observations about some of them 

 but I find if I should begin, it would take too much time and you 

 would not perhaps care for it. I wish something could be done 

 to keep the visitors from shooting every bird they come across. 

 The little Paroquet must soon be exterminated. Some of our 

 Enterprise party would sometimes shoot forty to fifty at a few 

 discharges for sport, as they hover about when any are shot until 

 whole flocks are destroyed. The White Egrets and Snowy Herons 

 are so persecuted that many of their breeding places are destroyed. 

 Where I saw them quite abundant in 1868, in 1869 they had all 

 left; they shoot them by hundreds, for their plumes. 



I have about made up my mind to go to Florida again this 

 winter and shall probably leave in December. 



I do not know as 1 answered your question about the breed- 

 ing of the Crossbills. They breed all the season from February 

 20 to May and perhaps later. The Canada Jay also breeds when 

 the snow is quite deep in March and I think breeds again in 

 summer as I have seen young birds in September. I have also 

 found ravens' eggs when the snow was quite deep. Have seen 

 the young of Mergus Americanus out with young the middle of 

 May, which is unusually early. 



Yours very truly, 



Geo. A. Boardman. 



