4 ° 
Brewster on Florida Birds. 
es in many places completely overarched. Between their stems 
appeared dismal pools choked with decaying logs and thickly 
sprinkled with those curious objects called “cypress knees” 
which reared their slimy heads above the stagnant water. The 
general desolation of the scene was greatly enhanced by long 
streamers of Tillaitdsia “ moss” that hung from every limb and 
waved impressively in the light morning air. 
These cypress swamps rarely afford any great variety of bird 
life but they are by no means entirely deserted. The sonorous 
whistle of the Redbird ( Cardinalis virginianus) , the -peto. fteto 
of the Tufted Titmouse, and the clear notes of the Carolina 
Wren enlivened the depths of the woods while in the tree tops 
Yellow-throated ( Dendroeca dominica ) and Blue Yellow-backed 
Warblers sang incessantly. Turkey Buzzards wheeled and soared 
overhead w hile an occasional dead tree was thronged with the 
sable forms of the Black Vultures patiently waiting until the dead 
alligator beneath should become sufficiently decomposed to afford 
them a loathesome feast. More rarely a Swallow-tailed Kite glided 
by, lashing the air with its cleft tail as it turned in its course or 
spreading it to the utmost while it poised for a moment to in- 
spect the ground beneath, then rising on motionless wing as 
buoyantly as a ball of thistle-down it would float oft' over the woods. 
Once six of these graceful creatures came in sight together, 
chasing one another and playing like so many Swallow T s. When 
at length they left us the scene seemed to lose something and we 
hurried on. 
With the next bend the character of the scenery changed. The 
river became more winding, and frequently doubled so sharply 
on its course that we could see across the narrow strip of land 
that separated the successive reaches. Th£ current glided swiftly 
between well defined banks or settled for a brief rest in pools 
where tall sedge lined the shore and water-lilies floated on the 
quiet surface. Willows and sweet gums took the places of the 
cypresses next the stream, while in the background palmettos 
reared their grotesque heads and hummocks of swamp oaks shut 
out the sky. Everywhere near the water there was a profusion 
of rank vegetation and where the eye could penetrate beyond it 
rested on a matted undergrowth of saw-palmetto. The greens 
were of that vivid shade seen only in the south and with the morn- 
ing dew sparkling on every leaf, the scene was one of indescrib- 
able freshness and beauty. 
