IN THE LOUISIANA CANEBRAKES 363 



or foot. One of the planters with us had lost part of his 

 hand by the bite of an alligator; and had seen a compan- 

 ion seized by the foot by a huge garfish from which he 

 was rescued with the utmost difficulty by his fellow- 

 swimmers. There were black bass in the waters too, and 

 they gave us many a good meal. Thick-bodied water 

 moccasins, foul and dangerous, kept near the water; and 

 farther back in the swamp we found and killed rattle- 

 snakes and copperheads. 



Coon and possum were very plentiful, and in the 

 streams there were minks and a few otters. Black squir- 

 rels barked in the tops of the tall trees or descended to the 

 ground to gather nuts or gnaw the shed deer antlers the 

 latter a habit they shared with the wood rats. To me the 

 most interesting of the smaller mammals, however, were 

 the swamp rabbits, which are thoroughly amphibious in 

 their habits, not only swimming but diving, and taking 

 to the water almost as freely as if they were muskrats. 

 They lived in the depths of the woods and beside the 

 lonely bayous. 



Birds were plentiful. Mocking birds abounded in 

 the clearings, where, among many sparrows of more com- 

 mon kind, I saw the painted finch, the gaudily colored 

 brother of our little indigo bunting, though at this season 

 his plumage was faded and dim. In the thick woods 

 where we hunted there were many cardinal birds and 

 Carolina wrens, both in full song. Thrashers were even 

 more common; but so cautious that it was rather difficult 

 to see them, in spite of their incessant clucking and call- 

 ing and their occasional bursts of song. There were 



