March, 1885.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



41 



Florida Bird Life. 



liY K. M. lIASUUdlTK, I'ALATKA, I'l.A. 



.Ian. 31. Taking my gun and note book I 

 slarti'd fur the swamps to sw what was going on 

 among the birds, and to try and glean some new 

 tacts concerning them. Tlie first bird that I saw 

 was the Yellow-bellied Woodpecker, {Sp/ii/mpiois 

 rariiiK), clinging to the side of a large Water Oak, 

 and thundering away for dear life. This was the 

 first bird of tliis species that I had seen in Flor- 

 ii.a, and I felt at home immediately on meeting 

 tliis old friend. 



Occasionally he would pause to utier a wliiniug 

 note, best represenled by the syllables " t'he-eheo 

 -che-e-e-clieu." I soon found that my friend 

 was not alone, for I heard a number iu different 

 iwrts of the swamp, and on lumting them up, 

 lound them all at work gleaning insects from the 

 trunks of the trees. Presently a large flock of 

 Bluebirds fiew overhead, and on watching tliem 

 I found that they were flying about in wide cir- 

 cles, and constantly calling to eacli oilier with 

 Iheir peculiar note so familiar t^i all. Suddenly 

 I hey paused, shot towards the earth and aligliled 

 iu the top of a tall tree, there to renew their 

 chattering. Tliey soon as suddenly dashed away 

 again. These were followed by a flock of 

 about three hundred Robbins, at a great height, 

 which were flying back and forth, and chirping 

 loudly, as if undecided in which ilirection to fly. 

 Tliese were soon joined by a larger flock, and 

 after a sliort flight they all suddenly i)itehed to- 

 ward the earth with a rushing noise tliat was 

 jilainly heard at a distance of a ([iiarter of a mile, 

 :ind alighted in the trees. In the meantime some 

 twenty or thirty Purple Grackles, (Qniscidim pnr- 

 ]iiiri')(.i), came skipping from tree to tree, and 

 tliese were followed by a large ninnber of the 

 American Goldfinch, (.4«</v(f/((?i;( ks tvixUK.) Seeing 

 these birds in flocks, all within twenty minutes, 

 and after watching their mananivres, I oame to 

 the conclusion that the tide had turned, and that 

 t lie great wave of migration was slowly advanc- 

 ing towards the north. 



While seated on a log 1 became lost in admir- 

 ing Ihe beautiful singing of a Mocking Bird, 

 (Mini iix polyglottiis), in the bushes near bj'. They 

 are just commencing to sing after two months of 

 comparative silence. Soon the harsli scream of 

 the Blue .Jay, (Oi/anoriftd rrishitii), reaches my 

 cars from the top of a tall Pine tree. Looking 

 up I perceived this saucy rascal, busily engaged 

 in pecking at the pine cones in true Woodpecker 

 style. All at once the familiar note of a Pileated 

 Woodpecker, (IIi/lolomiiK pilcdtii^), reached my 



ears, and thinking that I might gain something 

 by following him, I treaded my way carefully 

 from tree to tree until finally I saw him on the 

 lop branch of a dead Cypress, calling and acting 

 as though he expected an answer from some 

 quarter. Soon he was joined by another, 

 and after a moment's conversing, one flew 

 away, while Ihe other, after a moment's i>ause, 

 flew a short distance and alighted on a 

 Cypress tree, a couple of hundred yards otV, 

 and dis;ii)peared on the other side. Some- 

 thing induced me to follow, and it was well 

 that I did so. On reaching the tree and search- 

 ing carefully, I at first failed to find the object of 

 my pursuit, but finally just as I was about to give 

 it up, my eyes rested on a brand new hole, almost 

 entirely concealed by an inuuense buncli of Span- 

 ish moss. Waiting patiently for some time, I 

 was rewarded by at length seeing the hmg looked 

 for bird fly out of it, and alight in a neighboring 

 tree. I leave it to the readers of the " O. and O." 

 if my patience and perseverance were not amply 

 repaid. I did not climb to it, as the actions of 

 the birds did not promise my finding a complete 

 set of eggs, but I intend doing so two weeks from 

 that day, and if successful, will let you know the 

 results in my next. As it was, I conlenied my- 

 self with thinking what a splendid haul I would 

 make at no distant day. 



Feb. 7. During a short walk this morning 1 

 noticed for the first time the Yellow-rump War- 

 bler, (l)einlrn'cii comiutti). They were qiute 

 numerous and very busy catching insects. T ■ 

 heard only one note, a single " Chip" rejicatcd at 

 intervals. This morning a live female Sparrow 

 lliXviV, (Till nil lie iilus npiirceriusX was brought to 

 me by a young man who said that he had caught 

 it while attempting to get at a Mocking Bird that 

 was in a cage hanging by his door. On putting 

 it into a cage it at once turned over on its back 

 and feigned death. One not acquainted with the 

 circumstances of the case would readily have 

 supposed Ihe bird ti> he dead. There he lay, limp 

 and motionless; all the poking with a slick had 

 no eff'ect. Finally, after my keeping quiet a few 

 moments, I observed one eye cautiously opened, 

 and then closed again as he saw that I was watch- 

 ing him. I then retired behind some boxes and 

 watched to see what he would do. Soon he 

 again cautiously opened his eyes, and not seeing 

 ine, began to beat the bars of the cage in a wild 

 eff'ort to free himself On my approaching he 

 threw himself into the posilitm of a Night Hawk 

 when feigning lameness. I think this answers 

 the inquiry of a gentleman, made in the columns 

 of your paper, as to whether birds " play possum." 

 But to go back. Emerging from the swamp, I 



