May, 1885.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



75 



(which one would think would be folded into a 

 reef like a Heron's) is carried straight out in front 

 like a Duck's. They seem to have a particular 

 place or branch on a particular tree on which 

 they like to perch, and although their feet are full 

 webljcd, yet they alight with perfect ease. Here 

 on this limb Ihey may be found at various times 

 of the day sunning themselves, by keeping the 

 wings expanded, and occasionally beating them. 

 This, I believe, is done to dry their plumage, as 

 my experience with them has been that they are 

 not a water-proof plumaged bird, for on shooting 

 them, and fishing them out of the water within 

 (Ills mirmte, I have found their plumage soaking 

 wet, and it has taken all night and part of the 

 ibllowing day to dry it out. As may be seen by 

 their bill, they are a tish eating bird. In one of 

 my birds I found lour large tish, averaging six 

 inches in length by thiee in breadth (lying flat). 

 They were of the species known as Breem here, 

 and are common in all the waters. 



The Florida or Scrub Jay (Aphclucoma flvri- 

 dana) as it is called here, is quite common in the 

 scrub land, but is of such retiring habits, that 1 

 have not succeeded in observing it very closely. 

 They are sometimes found in companies of two 

 or three, and do not seem to associate with the 

 common Blue Jay. They have a hoarse croak- 

 ing noise that they repeat at intervals. Their 

 food, as near as I can find out, consists oi seeds, 

 insects and berries. 



The next bird of which I shall make mention 

 is i\ui \Am])km, (Aramtts pictus.) This is also a 

 strictly local bird (as regards the U. S.), as were 

 the last two, antl is found in many of the streams 

 and water courses, and in the marshes. They 

 have a loud, wild scream, in consequence of which 

 they are called in some localities " Crying bird." 

 II Hushed without thoroughly frightening them, 

 they alight on the nearest projecting dead branch, 

 or stump, and in doing so, it ajipears vety hard 

 for them to get their balance, as they flap their 

 wings, lean over, and make considerable fuss 

 about it. In dissecting their stomachs, I expected 

 to find the food usual to wading birds, but was 

 considerably surprised to find them full of large 

 snails, of which the birds had taken pains to re- 

 move the shell before swallowing. Their meat 

 is considered a great delicacy here by the colored 

 l)opulation, and large numbers of them are shot 

 and converted into '• Gumbo-soup." I have never 

 tried any myself, but from its appearance should 

 think them to be very good eating. 



The Great White Egret, (Ardea ecjretta), is also 

 here in large numbers, but they are exceedingly 

 difficult of approach, aiul to one who contem- 

 plates coming down with the idea that he is 



going to have a good time shooting White Her- 

 ons, (as they are called here), let me say 

 that he will probably fail. And to illustrate let 

 me give an account of a hunt for them I took a 

 short time ago. After a long and somewhat diffi- 

 cult search, I at last discovered one. Now that 

 Heron was not standing on a log by the side of a 

 creek waiting to be shot. He was out in the 

 center of a large prairie where there was no op- 

 portunity of getting within gunshot. He was 

 fully a half mile away, and to all appearance he 

 would stay there. Now I have the conceit to 

 consider mysilf a pretty good sneak (for bird 

 hunting) and I set to work to crawl up to him. 

 There was not a spear of grass on the whole plain 

 to hide behind, or anything else for that matter, 

 but finally I did succeed in getting a single tuft 

 between him and myself, nnd then began what 

 would have appeared to a liKjker on, the attempt 

 of an elephant to approach a flea behind a needle. 

 Bear in mind I was crawling on hands and knees, 

 inch by inch, in black nuid, varying from three 

 inches to a foot in depth. That Heron was fully 

 a half mile away when I started, and after two 

 hours' hard work I had actually got within two 

 gunshots of him, and was just beginning to think 

 how nice that skin would look in my cabinet, 

 when away he went for parts unknown. I was 

 scarcely disappointed, not expecting to gel him in 

 the first place, but I intend visiting a place where 

 large numbers of these birds roost every night, 

 and then hope to get at least one good specimen. 



My Experience with Screech Owls. 



1!Y C. W. 1!., WASHINGTON, D. C. 



In May, 1883, I found a Screech Owl's nest in 

 a hollow limb, about thirty-five feet from the 

 ground. It contained four young, about a week 

 old, which I carried home to raise as pets. The 

 young were covered with white down, and, when 

 found, were lying on a bed of decayed chips. 

 About the nest were pieces of mouse skin, the 

 feathers of a Towhee, and some gray pellets. 



The Owls were placed in a small box on a bed 

 of sawdust, and were fed on raw meat. They 

 soon grew large enough to hop on the top of the 

 box, where they would sit and blink, and stare, 

 by the hour. It soon became necessary to re- 

 move them to better quarters, so a large cage was 

 built in the shed, where they devoted themselves 

 to hopping from one perch to another, all day 

 long, for the first few days. One day one of the 

 Owls found his way through the bars of the cage, 

 and flew to the floor. An old hen with chickens 

 came in presently, and recognizing him as an en- 

 emy, went for him and killed the poor Owl in a 



