FLORIDA: THE GULF COAST 171 



long time known as Peak's egret. Besides the 

 ubiquitous brown pelican, large flocks of white 

 pelicans were frequently seen. The roseate 

 spoonbill was met with almost daily. Once from 

 near at hand I saw a flock alighting on a mud flat 

 exposed by the tide ; the birds must have covered, 

 as they sat close together, upward of an acre of 

 land. The rays of the declining sun shining on 

 their beautiful rose-colored feathers reflected a 

 picture of wonderful color, while the spoonbills 

 in their methods of feeding and action were of 

 more than ordinary interest. One has but to see 

 the curious spoon-shaped bill of this ibis to 

 realize that the bird is wholly unlike any of its 

 congeners. 



Now for the first time I observed the frigate 

 pelican, the man-o'-war bird, and was able to form 

 impressions of my own with regard to this prince 

 of flyers. The man-o'-war is in general color 

 black, and I can liken him to nothing better in 

 form than a barn-swallow ; the same long, pointed 

 wings, forked tail, short neck, and slim body char- 

 acterize both. Imagine, if you please, a black 

 barn-swallow stretching six feet from the tip of 

 one wing to the tip of the other, with a forked 

 tail in proportion, and you will have a very vivid 

 image of the appearance of the man-o'-war bird in 

 flight. Here the parallel ends. For while the 

 barn-swallows flit, glide, and skim over pond and 



