rather scarce both in spring and autumn. About the middle of the present month, May 1880, I noticed it in considerable numbers.

What occasions these erratic movements of the birds? The supposition that a variation in the supply of food is the cause seems hardly probable, for it appears incredible that the food of the Chickadee and Nuthatches should have been so scant last fall as to cause these birds to avoid this locality in their migrations. I say it is incredible because their kind of food is shared by many other birds that were abundant. As for the character of the season influencing their travels, unless it can be shown that they wintered north of Long Island in unusual numbers, I do not think it can be taken as a reasonable explanation, for the birds mentioned above are regular migrants whatever the character of the seasons may be.

In closing I may remark that there are three common birds that are always rare about Fort Hamilton, viz.: The Hairy Woodpecker (Picus villosus), the Downy Woodpecker (Picus pubesccns), and the Purple Martin (Progne purpurea). Now I expect that some readers of this article will conclude that its author is either afflicted with blindness, or else is a very careless observer. I beg leave to say that neither conclusion is correct. The statement regarding the scarcity of the species just named, is the result of four years' careful observation of the birds of this locality. Mr. Geo. H. Coues has, indeed, given both the Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers as common about the Naval Hospital, Brooklyn (this Bull., Vol. IV., p. 31). The Hospital is scarcely a dozen miles from Fort Hamilton, nevertheless I must stand to my statement, and am willing to take my oath upon a copy of Dr. Coues's "Key to North American Birds," as to its validity. In this vicinity I have met with the Downy Woodpecker only two or three times, and with the Hairy Woodpecker not at all. It is true that the woods have been pretty nearly cleared away from this part of the island, still a sufficient amount of woodland remains, and certainly the orchards should furnish ample accommodations. The case of the Purple Martin is equally curious. This bird is common enough at the eastern end of the island, yet here I have only seen a few individuals.

ON BIRDS OBSERVED IN SUMPTER, LEVY, 'AND HILLSBORO' COUNTIES, FLORIDA.

BY W. E. D. SCOTT.

My purpose in the following pages is to give additional notes on the distribution and habits of certain birds that do not seem to have come commonly under the notice of ornithologists collecting in Florida during the fall, winter, and early spring months. The data which follow were collected during two visits to Florida, and at the several points to be presently indicated. The first of these visits occurred in 1876 and covered a period extending from January 1 to the end of the following March. The observations then made were confined to the interior, the precise location being at Panasofkee Lake in Sumpter County. Here a large region was carefully studied and particularly the bird fauna of this lake, a small body of water, about eight miles long and four broad in its widest part. Its greatest depth is, so far as ascertained, about fifteen feet, but the general depth is much less, being not more than three or four feet. The general characteristics of the region are those common to many parts of the State, -rolling sandhills wooded with pine, "hummocks," some of great extent, and wet open grass lands or marshes. These last give rise to certain small streams supplying the lake, which in its turn has a large outlet leading into the Withlacoochee River, forming one of the main branches of that river. The lake is bounded by saw-grasses" and cypress swamps; the latter are very extensive about the outlet of the lake and along the river above-mentioned.

66

Late in October, 1879, I again visited Florida, and spent from November I until April 5 on the Gulf Coast. The interval from the 1st of November until the 25th of January was passed at a point some three miles north of the mouth of the Withlacoochee River. Here the Gulf is dotted for a distance of three or four miles from the shore with innumerable islands, mostly low and of very limited area. The main land, as it approaches the Gulf, is heavily wooded with pine, interspersed here and there with small hummocks. The pine forests end generally very abruptly in large salt marshes reaching to the Gulf.

Late in January I left this point and went to Clearwater, fifty miles south, a region entirely different from that just described. Here the main land terminates in high bluffs. About two miles from the main land long islands extend parallel to it, forming interior bays like those of New Jersey and at many points along the coast of the States to the southward. These islands are generally narrow, high, and at points heavily wooded. With this brief glance at these three regions the remarks on the birds characterizing them will be more intelligible.

It is not in the scope of the present paper to mention all the species occurring, and it will be only necessary to say that the commoner small land species were met with at each point. It may be well, however, to use as a standard for comparison Mr. Allen's list,* and notice only such species as apparently differ in general distribution or did not come under his observation or that of the gentlemen referred to by him.

In January, 1879, the Long-billed Marsh Wren (Telmatodytes palustris) was abundant in the salt marshes at the mouth of the Withlacoochee River..

At Ocala, in the interior, on November 1, 1879, two Tit Larks (Anthus lodovicianus) were noticed and the species was common at Clearwater during February.

The Golden-crowned Thrush (Siurus auricapillus) I met with once at Clearwater in February and the Water Thrush (Siurus nævius) was not uncommon in February in the damp, dark, mangrove islands in the same locality. It seemed peculiar to meet this species on these small islands that were overflowed with salt water each high tide. The Purple Martin (Progne subis) was common about Clearwater February 22, and on March 6 I noted a pair breeding in a hollow in a decayed mangroveclose to the water. I found also several pairs breeding inland. during the same month.

Of the Finches recorded in Mr. Allen's list I did not find either the Snowbird (Junco hyemalis), or the Fox-colored Sparrow (Passerella iliaca). Both the Sharp-tailed and Seaside Finches (Ammodromus caudacutus and A. maritimus) were found commonly, but though I took many specimens of A. maritimus none were in the peculiar plumage (A. maritimus

* Mammals and Winter Birds of East Florida, etc. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoology Vol. II, pp. 161-450, April, 1871.

nigrescens) obtained by Mr. Maynard. The Yellow-winged Sparrow (Coturniculus passerinus) was common throughout February and March at Clearwater, and on March 25 I obtained a single Henslow's Sparrow (C. henslowi) at the same locality. In the same region Bachman's Finch (Peucæa æstivalis) was abundant.

Several specimens of Chuck-will's-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) were noted or taken during the month of February at Clearwater.

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) was taken at both Panasofkee Lake and at the mouth of the Withlacoochee River and was noted at Clearwater. It was most common at the second locality but seems a rare bird at all the points indicated. A female taken on January 20, 1880, was incubating. The nest seems to be not uncommonly made in the trunk of the palmetto, from observations made at the mouth of the Withlacoochee where these trees are particularly abundant and large. I noticed an old nest, evidently of this species, that was not more than fifteen feet from the ground.

The Parrakeet (Conurus carolinensis) is becoming yearly more rare. It was very abundant at Panasofkee Lake, but very few were noted at the mouth of the Withlacoochee, and only a single bird at Clearwater, though it was not uncommon in the interior twelve miles north of the latter locality.

About February 1, 1876, I first noticed the Everglade Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) at Panasofkee Lake, and shortly this species became abundant at this point. Frequently pairs were observed together and the bird was commonly met with in parties of from six to ten. On one occasion I noticed nineteen associated together, fishing in the shallow water of a bay that made off from one side of the lake. Many of the birds were in the brown plumage, though the dark blue plumage was frequently met with. Their food at this point apparently consists of a kind of large fresh-water snail, which is very abundant, and the local name of "Snail Hawk" is particularly applicable to the bird as I have met with it. They fish over the shallow water, reminding one of Gulls in their motions, and having secured a snail by diving they immediately carry it to the nearest available perch, when the animal is dexterously taken from the shell without injury to the latter. At many points where a particularly conven

ient tree or stub rises out of the saw-grass the ground is literally heaped with the empty shells of these unfortunate snails. The birds were especially numerous throughout the month of March but had not, I think, nested before my departure, March 25, as they were still associated in flocks or companies.

During January and February, 1876, I many times noted individuals of the Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis), but as they were very wary I was unable to obtain specimens. The Swallow-tailed Kite (Nauclerus furcatus) I found common at Panasofkee Lake during the last week of February and throughout March. These three species, met with so commonly at the point indicated, I did not even see on the coast, though certain regions visited some ten miles inland seemed admirably adapted for at least the two latter. R. sociabilis, it may be well to remark, impresses me as eminently an aquatic species. I found it always in the immediate vicinity of the lake and generally most common about certain bays where the water was shallow and the snails particularly abundant. Although there were extensive marshes along the river, and although at points where it widened out the water was shallow and the snails present (at a point hardly two miles from the lake), this species was never there observed by me hunting over the land at any point, nor even along the river.

The Duck Hawk (Falco peregrinus) was a rather common species during the first two months of my stay at Panasofkee Lake and was noted, though not so commonly, in March. The last observation on this species was on March 24, when a pair were seen. As observed here, this Hawk preyed almost exclusively on the Coot (Fulica americana) which occurred in enormous flocks on both lake and river.

At all three points I found the White-headed Eagle (Haliaëtus lucocephalus) a common bird and this was particularly the case on the coast. A pair at the mouth of the Withlacoochee River began to repair an old nest early in November, 1879, and must have laid early in December, as the young were obtained almost fully fledged the 22d of January. At Clearwater Harbor two sets, one of two and one of three almost fully fledged young, were obtained February 5 and 6. Four Eagle's nests were in sight from the house where I stayed at this place, within the radius of a mile and a half, all of them inhabited. In the immediate neigh