60 THE NATURALIST OF THE ST. CROIX 



We usually leave here in a small boat after breakfast, take 

 dinner with us, and go off, up or down the river for the day, 

 and since I have been in Florida have only had one-half day 

 rainy weather to keep me in the house ; there has been a rainy 

 night or two. The weather is splendid. Orange blossoms just 

 going off the trees. I will give you our yesterday's boat cruise 

 which will be something like most every day only we often get 

 different game. Yesterday we shot two Alligators, two Wid- 

 geons, Blue Wingteal, Ruddy Duck, Blackhead, six Quails, White 

 Egret, White Ibis and a fish basket full of Yellow Legs, Killdee, 

 Snipe, Woodpeckers and small fry generally with half a dozen 

 Paroquets. While speaking of the latter bird I think it must soon 

 be almost exterminated. Everybody coming to Florida brings 

 from one to three guns and they shoot every bird that comes 

 within range and this bird when one is shot returns again and 

 again, until almost every bird is shot down. One of our boarders 

 last week shot forty in a few moments and knew nine shot at one 

 discharge Friday. It is murder to destroy so pretty a bird for 

 sport as they can do nothing with them. You know I told you 

 last spring of flocks of birds with white bodies and dark wings. 

 When flying they show a pure white body and dark wings. I 

 find they are an Ibis, probably the White Ibis in immature 

 plumage. We shot one yesterday and I have had several ; they 

 go in large flocks, most all in the dark wing plumage. I have made 

 a couple of skins of this plumage as I don't remember seeing one 

 in your case. 



I found Allen last week. He and two men are camping 

 about seven miles below here ; have been collecting all the way 

 up the river and intend to remain where they are for ten days. 

 They did not expect to go up any further, but I told them of a 

 very interesting island in Lake Jessup where birds breed in large 

 numbers, Egrets, Cranes, Herons, etc. I went up a couple of 

 weeks ago and some expect to go again before I leave. Allen's 

 party have about two hundred skins, nothing very rare. They 

 have three Ivorybills and one Florida Jay. Mrs. B. and Willie 

 returned to Jacksonville Wednesday. I shall probably be here 

 another week, then go down river. I have made quite a good lot 

 of skins for you here that will please you. The ladies at the house 



