A preliminary list of the birds of Leon County, Florida

^°lw^n ^Williams,

Birds 0/ Leon Coun/y, Flu.

AAQ

Baeolophus inornatus griseus.

Gray Titmouse. — Common

in the juniperand pinon pinesofthe

Upper

Sonoranzone.

Parusatricapillus septentrionalis.

Long-tailed Chickadee. — Found

inthePecos Mountains.

Psaltriparus plumbeus.

Lead-colored

Bush-tit.

—

Fairly

common

inthe junipers.

On

the side of

Mesa

del

Agua

de la

Yegua

itwas found ashigh as6500feet.

A PRELIMINARY LIST OF THE BIRDS OF LEON COUNTY, FLORIDA.

BY R. W.

WILLIAMS,

JR.

The

present list is the result of spare

moments devoted

to ornithology since the

summer

of 1896. I

had hoped,

ere this, to present a

more complete and

satisfactory catalogue of the birds of

my

county, but the extensive field

has proved

too

broad

for thelimited time I could give to the subject. I intend this as a basis for future

work and

publish it

now

in the

hope

that it

may be

of

some

value to

workers

in

geographic

distribution.

It will

be

noticed that

many

species, particularly of the Mniotiltida;,

which

occur in the peninsula are not recorded here

and

I feelsafe in asserting that they

do

not

come

to

my

part of Florida.

They may

pass over

during

migration but continue their course uninterruptedly to

some

other portion of the State.

A few ducks which undoubtedly occur have escaped me. Some

ofthe Limicolai are not recorded, but thatthey occasionally visit the

county

there

can

be

no

doubt. I

have

here recorded only those species

about which

there could arise

no

question ;

have

carefully eliminated inferences without strong evidence to support them,

and where

necessary

have

given the authority

upon which

I rely.

The

list has

been annotated

as briefly as

was

consistent with

accuracy and

afairpresentationofthe subject.

A word about

the

topography and

climate

was

considered advisable,

and though

very general, it is

hoped

will

convey

an ideaofthe country.

ACQ Williams,

Birds of Leon County, Fla.

\_()^z.\

Leon County

is

one

of the northern tier of counties,

bounded on

the north

by

Georgia. It occupies almost a central position

between

the eastern

and

western extremities of the State.

Tallahassee, the

county

seat

and

capital ofthe State,liesalmost

midway between

Jacksonville

and

Pensacola,

being

165 miles west ^of the

former and 210

miles east of the latter. Forty miles south lies the Gulf of

Mexico.

We

^generally

^{have an abundance}

^{of rain at all seasons.}

A

drought

of about a

month's

duration

may

occur at

any

season.

A few

sporadic days in winter are apt to be severe, but are soon followed

by

springlike,

balmy

weather.

The

northernhalf of thecounty isfertile

and

rolling,

everywhere

dotted with sheets of water of varying ^size,

from Lake

Jackson, 12 miles long, to the smallest

mud

holes.

Innumerable

streams dissect the county.

The

lakes

and

larger

ponds

providesuitable haunts ^for large

numbers

ofwater-fowl

and

their

marshes

arefeed- ing

grounds

forseveral species, notably the

Snipe {GaHinago)

.

The

southern half isfiat, sandy,

and

sterile.

Cypress swamps

occur

throughout

this region, furnishing favorite nesting places for

Herons and Anhingas.

The

^{vegetation is varied.}

That

^of the northern half of the county is rich in variety

and

luxuriance, presenting

some

of the

most

beautiful scenery in the South.

Oaks

of several species,

draped

with

Spanish

moss, hickories, sweet

gums,

magnolias,

and

pines of the

more

attractive sort, constitute the forest trees,

and everywhere

interspersed

among

these are

found

the

dogwood,

sassafras

and

holly, aside

from

the plethoraof

minor

shrubbery.

That

of the southern halfis very different, the characteristic trees being the ever present pine

and

aspeciesof scrub

oak we

call black-jack, just

such

vegetation as

one would

expect to find in

such

soil.

Everywhere

throughout these great pineries will

be found

the palmetto ingreat

abundance.

Allthisinterminable

monotony

is, however,

now and

then relieved

by

the

appearance

of a small tract of fairly fertile soil, supporting a vegetation characteristic of the northernpart ofthe county.

An

occasional

pond

is

met

with,

around which

will

be found

clusters of sweet

gums and water

oaks.

As might be

expected

from

the foregoing, the greatest

abundance

of bird lifeoccurs in the north- ern half of the county.

H

^"'.qi^^J

Williams,

Birds of

Leon

County, Fla.

45

^I

At some

future time I

hope

to contribute to ornithological literaturea

complete

list of the birds of

my

county, with a detailed

account

of the climate

and

topography.

For

the present the foregoingbrief notice

must

suffice.

1. Podilymbus podiceps. Pied-billed

Grebe. — Common

resident, retiring to smallerandinore secludedponds inspring,wheretheyremain throughout the nesting season.

2.

Anhinga

anhinga.

Anhinga. —

Rather

common summer

resident in suitable localities, nestingincypress

swamps

andfeedinginthe shal- lowponds in thevicinity. I have found eggs as earlyasApril 13 and as lateasJune 16,thelatterdate indicatingdisaster tothe firstset.

Have

norecord of occurrencein winter,though it is probable that it

may

be foundsparingly.

3. Lophodytes cucullatus.

Hooded Merganser. —

Rather

common

winter resident,foundinthe lakesand largerponds.

4.

Anas

boschas.

Mallard. — Common

winter resident,frequenting the lakes and larger ponds, occasionally met with in smaller bodies of water.

5. Mareca americana.

Baldpate. —

Winter resident, occurring only insmall

numbers

andchiefly confinedtothe larger lakes.

6. Nettion carolinensis.

Green-winged

Teal.

— Common

winter resident.

7. Querquedula discors.

Blue-winged

Teal.

— _Common

_winter

resident.

8. Spatula clypeata.

Shoveller. —

Winterresident, in limited

num-

bers.

9. Dafila acuta. Pintail.

—

Winter resident of

more

or less abun- dance.

10. Aixsponsa.

Wood Duck. —

^Resident, but not abundant.

11.

Aythya

marila.

American Scaup Duck. — Common

winterresi- dent, foundin

company

withaffitiisandcollaris.

12.

Aythya

affinis.

Lesser Scaup Duck. — Common

winterresident.

One

ofthe most abundantofallducks.

13.

Aythya

collaris.

Ring-necked Duck. — Common

winter resi- dent.

The

most abundantoftheAnatidse.

14. Harelda hyemalis.

Old-squaw. —

Rare winter resident. I have onespecimen.

15. Brantacanadensis.

Canada Goose. —

^{Rarewintervisitant.}

16. Tantalusloculator.

Wood

Ibis.

— A summer

^{resident of}

more

or less abundance, frequenting the shores of lakes and ponds. I haveno doubt that their nests

may

be found in

some

of the remote cypress

swamps

ofthecounty.

They

aregregarious.

17. Botaurus lentiginosus.

American

Bittern.

—

^Fairly

^common

winterresident,frequenting the grassy shores and shallow pools of the larger lakes,sometimes foundinthevicinityof the smallerponds.

452

\Ni-Li.iXMS,, Birds of^Leo7t County, Fla. [j^"^^

i8. Ardetta exilis.

Least

Bittern. Formerly quite abundant in spring and

summer,

nesting in bushes and weeds in and around ^small ponds.

From some

unaccountable cause thev have almost entirely dis- appeared fromthecounty.

19. Ardeaherodias.

Great Blue Heron. —

Rather a

common

resi- dent, nesting in the cypress swamps.

Very

wary at all times.. I have been unabletodeterminethestatus of this heron,asI havefailed totake a specimen. It is possible that it should be referred tothe subspecies zuardi.

20. Herodiasegretta.

American Egret. —

Rare

summer

resident. I

found a nest and

young

on April 24, 1901, in a small cypress

swamp

three miles westofTallahassee.

21. Egretta candidissima.

Snowy Heron. — Common summer

^resi-

dent,nesting inthe cypress

swamps

inconjunction withF. ccErulea.

22. Hydranassatricolorruficollis.

Louisiana Heron. — Summer

res- identof

more

orlessabundance. Occurs in large

numbers

on the Gulf coastof thecountyjustsouthof us.

23. Floridacaerulea.

Little Blue Heron. — Common summer

resi- dent,arriving in the lastof February.

Becomes common

about

March

15. Nests in cypress swamps. I haveseen no less thanone hundred nests in a singlegroupof small cypresstrees.

24. Butorides virescens.

Green Heron. — Common summer

resi- dent, nesting ⁱⁿ almost any localitywhere a supplyof water

may

be found. Very solitary in its habits.

25. Nycticoraxnycticorax naevius.

Black-crowned Night Heron.

— Summer

resident. Nestsincypressswamps, often inthe rookeries of Little Blueand

Snowy

Herons, but usuallyin highersituations.

Have

found eggs abouttohatch onApril 13 (1S95).

26. Rallus elegans.

King

Rail.

—

Rather

common

resident,

more

often heard than seen. Itnests in thetangled massesof aquatic vegeta- tion.

27. Rallus virginianus. Virginia Rail.

— An uncommon

winter resident.

28. Porzana Carolina. Sora.

—

Rather

common

winter resident; dif- ficultto tlush from its hauntsof tangled weeds inthe marshes of the lakesandponds.

29. lonornis martinica.

Purple Gallinule. — Common

resident.

Nests inthe smaller grassyponds and bayousof thelarge lakes.

30. Gallinula galeata.

Florida Gallinule. — Common

resident.

Nests in

same

localities asthe preceding.

31. Fulica americana.

American

Coot.

— Common

winter resident.

Occursin

enormous numbers

on Lakes Jackson andlamonia.

They

are shotbythenegi-oesfor food.

^2. Philohela minor.

American Woodcock. —

Occurs throughout the yearinlimited numbers. Flushedonein a thicket onthemarsh.August 30, 1901.

Vol.XXl-j

Williams,

Birds of Leon County, Fla.

453

33. Gallinagodelicata.

Wilson's

Snipe.

— Common

winterresident, frequenting almost any

marshy

locality. Occurs ingreat abundance on themarshesof our lakesand larger ponds duringthe spring migration.

Ihave even found

them

feeding on the hillsides inverywetweather.

Large

numbers

are annually shotby hunters. Gallinago iseasy preyin the south where their flight is less erratic and not so swift as I

am

informedthat itis inthe north.

A

friendof

mine

killed sixtyodd ina singleday's shootingon Lake Jackson afew winters ago.

They

areless

abundantthan formerly.

They

leavetheStateabout April 15,andIhave an arrivalrecordof October 3 (1901).

34.

Helodromas

solitarius.

Solitary

Sandpiper.

—

Occurs spar- inglyinthe early spring,frequenting

marshy

land wherever it

may

be found. Shot one and

saw

afewothers on

March

25, 1901.

35. Bartramialongicauda.

Bartramian

Sandpiper.

— An

occasional wintervisitor invery wet weather; usuallyoccurs in the spring. Shot oneand sawabout five otherson

March

25, 1901.

They

areextremely

wary

anddifficulttoapproach.

36.

Oxyechus

vociferus.

Killdeer.—

Very

common

winterandearly springresident, occurring sparingly throughouttheyear. Indifferent in itstastesforlocality,for

you

are as likely to find iton high and dry lands as on the marshes. It is very active during the hoursof darkness.

Forms

anobject of sportfortheyounger nimrods. I haveonerecordof itsnesting in thecounty.

A

setof four eggs was taken several years ago by a friend.

37. Colinusvirginianus. Bob-white.

— Common

resident.

Our

birds approach

more

nearly the

common

form, but are considerably darker, especially in theregionof the head. ItisquiteprobablethatJioridanus

may

be found inthesouthern partof the county.

Some

of thefinest 'quail^' shootingin thiscountryisstill tobehadin

Leon

County.

38. Meleagris gallopavo silvestris.

Wild Turkey. —

Resident; form-

erly'

common, now

restricted towilderportionsofthe county.

39. Zenaidura macroura.

Mourning Dove. — Common

resident.

Much more

abundantinwinter. Nests usuallyⁱⁿpines. Large

numbers

areannuallykilledforsportandfood. Its fleshisheldinhighestimation.

40. Columbigallina passerina terrestris.

Ground

Dove.

—

Resident.

Formerly abundant at all times, now,from

some

unaccountablereason, exceedingly rare at any time. Its total disappearance for the space of twelve

months

invery recent years^isoneofthe mysteriesof

Leon County

ornithology. Latterlyithas returnedin very limitednumbers.

41. Cathartes aura.

Turkey Vulture. — Common

resident. Fre- quents the city in larger

numbers

than Catkarista and is

more

nearly domesticated. Itperforms valuable sanitary functions, riddingouryards andstreetsof

much

oftal and excrementitious substances. ^{It is} exempt from even the recklessness of boys and enjoys

immunity

from danger everywhere.

Though

as

common

as the followingspecies, itsnests are seldom found.

AC A ^Williams,

Birds of Leon ^County,Fla.

\^^

42. Catharista urubu.

Black Vulture. — ^Common

^resident.

^Of

retiring habits during the nesting season,which beginsas early as Feb- ruary20. Lessfrequently seeninthecitythan Cathartes,thoughitwill befoundin large

numbers

duringwinter, roosting ⁱⁿ thetall

moribund

redoaksso abundant in Tallahassee. It is impossible for one to divest himselfofthe

gloomy

^effectsuch a sightproduces upon hissenses.

The

sable pall standsoutin boldrelief against theclear,moonlit skyandthe assemblage seems oneof chief mournersat

some

august funeral. It is

likewiseexempt fromthe devastatinghandofman.

43. Elanoides forficatus.

Swallow-tailed

Kite.

— Of

occasional occurrence in the spring,either singly or inflocks. Ihave norecordof its nesting.

44. Ictinia mississippiensis. Mississippi Kite.

—

Of irregularoccur- rence in spring. Never present, so far asI

am

abletodetermine, except in 'flights,' lasting usually only long

enough

to accomplish a leisurely journey across the county.

While

so travelling they are invariably engaged in most graceful and complex evolutions. Notwithstanding the assertion that they occur onlj^in flightsof shortduration inspring, Ifeelobligedto refer to a singleeggsent a fewyearssince totheNational

Museum

for identification and pronounced to be the eggof anIcfinia.

I have not seen the egg recently. Itwas foundina nest,about 30feet up in a pine,near a public highway, by

my

^friend

Oilman

_J. Winthrop, and is

now

in our joint collection at his

home

in Tallahassee. This establishes a nesting recordforthespecies in

Leon

County,butit iscer- tain thatthe birdisavery infrequent

summer

resident.

45. Circus hudsonius.

Marsh Hawk. —

Rather

common

winter resi- dent, usually seen flying over old well-weeded fields in pursuit of its

humble

prey.

46. Accipiter velox.

Sharp-shinned Hawk. —

Resident. I haveno nestingrecords.

47. Accipiter cooperii.

Cooper's Hawk. — Common

resident. Nests usuallv placedina pine.

Very

troublesomearoundthepoultrj'yard.

48. Buteoborealis.

Red-tailed Hawk. — Common

resident.

49. Buteolineatusalleni.

Florida Red-shouldered Hawk. — Com- mon

resident.

Have

been unabletodetermine itsexact status.

50. Buteo platypterus.

Broad-winged Hawk. — Common

resident.

Fresheggsarefoundabout

May

^i.

51. Haliaeetus leucocephalus.

Bald

Eagle.

—

Resident in limited numbers.

One

set of two eggs was taken

December

22, 1S96, by

my

friendWinthrop.

52. Falco columbarius.

Pigeon Hawk. —

Rare migrant, so far as known.

Have

taken one,October12, 1901.

53. Falco sparverius.

American Sparrow Hawk. — Common

^resi-

dent.

54. Pandionhaliaetuscarolinensis.

American

Osprey.

— Found

spar- inglythroughout thej-ear.

One

nestedon an island inLake lamoniaa fewyearssince.

I

^°'igo4^']

Williams,

_{Birds of}

Leon

County, Fia.

455

55. Strix pratincola.

American Barn Owl. —

Rather

common

resi- dent,nesting as earlyas

December

10 (1901). I have foundnests in the large red oaks within thecity limits.

56.

Syrnium

varium alleni.

Florida Barred Owl. —

Resident, in

some

abundance.

57.

Megascops

asiofloridanus.

Florida Screech Owl. — Common

resident. Begins nidificationbyApril i.

58.

Bubo

virginianus.

Great Horned Owl. —

Rather

common

resi- dent.

59. Coccyzus americanus.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo. — Common

sum-

mer

resident, nestingin diverse situations. Isfondof trees alongpub- lic highwaysfornesting sites. Fresh eggs have been takenon

August

II (1900). Ihaveaset of sixeggs.

60. Coccyzus erythrophthalmus. Black-billed

Cuckoo. —

Occurs sparinglyin

summer. One

^recordofitsnesting.

61. Ceryle alcyon.

Belted

Kingfisher.

—

Rather

common summer

residentandoccurs sparinglyin winter.

62.

Campephilus

principalis. Ivory-billed

Woodpecker. — Form-

erl}'a fairly

common

resident,

now

restricted todenseforestsandcypress swamps,if itoccursatall.

A

few have been killed in the last 15 years and oneofourcitizens worea pair of mandibles as awatch-charm,taken froma bird he shotabout seven yearsago.

63. Dryobates villosus audubonii.

Southern Hairy Woodpecker.

—

Rare resident.

64. Dryobates pubescens.

Downy Woodpecker. — Common

resi- dent.

65. Sphyrapicusvarius.

Yellow-bellied

Sapsucker.

—

Rathercom-

mon

winter resident.

66. Ceophlceus pileatus.

Pileated Woodpecker. —

Resident; con- fined tothelarger tracts ofwoodland.

More common

in southernpart of thecounty.

67. Melanerpeserythrocephalus.

Red-headed Woodpecker. — Com- mon summer,

and lessabundantwinter,resident.

The commonest

wood- peckerin thecounty.

Found

usuallyintheforests of decaying pinesso abundant throughoutthecounty.

68. Centuruscarolinus.

Red-bellied Woodpecker. — Common

resi- dent.

Shows

a preference for dead portions of living trees for nesting site.

69. Colaptes auratus. Flicker.

— Common

resident. Not so

much

soughtafter asanarticle offood asformerly.

70.

Antrostomus

carolinensis.

Chuck-wills-widow. — Common

sum-

mer

resident, arrivingaboutApril i;occasionally seeninwinter, but not of constant occurrence.

My

friend

Winthrop

saw one

December

28, 1903.

71.

Antrostomus

vociferus. Whip-poor-will.

—

^{Rare at any season.}

The

only authentic recordof its occurrence,if indeeditis a valid record.

456 ^Williams,

^{Birds of}

^Leon

^{County, Fla.} loctLOct.

rests

upon

a set of eggstakenseveral yearsago bj oneof the

numerous

juvenile &^^ ^{collectors in} Tallahassee. I saw the eggs then and com- mented upon their very small size and expressed the belief that they could not be thoseof carolinensis. I

am

confirmedin

my

^convictionthat thesetwas one of this species. I havenever seen the birdnor heard its notes.

72. Chordeiles virginianus.

Nighthawk. — Common summer

resi- dent,though its nest is not frequently found. I have never taken its

eggs.

During

the springitisretiring and seldom seen, but laterinthe season itbeginstoemerge fromits seclusionandin large

numbers

scours theairfrom5o'clock till after nightfall. Often seen early inthemorn- ing bythose of

more

energetic habits than the writer. This bird fur- nishes sportforthosepersons devotedto the

gun

and

enormous numbers

have beenslaughteredannuallyforyears past.

While

theyareprimarily shot for ^'sport,' their flesh is held in high regard,and Icantestify to their delightful flavor while I deprecate the sacrifice.

As

wouldbeex- pected, they have greatly decreased in nuinbers in the last five years.

Public sentiment has not yet stampedits disapprovalonthisworsethan uselessdestruction.

73. Chaetura pelagica.

Chimney

Swift.

— Common summer

resident.

Arrives about

March

28. Recordsfor arrival forthree years are: 1901,

March

26; 1902,

March

27; 1903,

March

28.

They

remain longafterthe bulk of

summer

residents have gone.

Of

late years they havesuffered reverses inprocuringavailable nestingsiteson accountof their

own

bad manners. Ihave

known

of

some

costlycarpetsalmostwhollyruined by them. After the nestingseasonthey collect in

enormous numbers

every evening,circle overanddiveinto certain attractivechimneys, loosen the soot intheir fluttering and precipitate the black matter into the

room

below.

The

result isapparent. Thishas necessitated theresort towire netting over the tops of most of ourchimneys and the birds must soon return to their ancient custom of nesting in old trees or abandon our county. I deprecate the day

when

such a cheerful little visitor must avaunt.

74. Trochilus colubris.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird. — A

sum-

mer

resident, very retiring during the nesting time.

Have

onlv one recordofits nestandeggs.

75.

Tyrannus

tyrannus. Kingbird.

— Common summer

resident, arriving about April i; gregarious during late

summer

andverysilent.

Records of arrival for four yearsare^: 1900,

March

27; 1901,

March

₂₅ ;

1902,

March

30; 1903, April3.

76. Myiarchuscrinitus.

Crested Flycatcher. — Common summer

resident,arrivingabout April i. Records of arrivalforthree years are;

1901,

March

₃₁; 1902.

March

30^; 1903,April4.

77. Sayornis phcebe. Phcebe.

— Common

winter resident.

Found them common

October 11, 1901, and they were still present

March

25,

1902. Neveroccursin

summer.

°igo4 ] '^ii^'LiJ^MS, Birds of

Leon

County,Fla.

ACh

78. Contopus virens.

Wood Pewee. —

Migrant. Never abundant.

Took

one in

my

yard September_4, 1901.

79.

Empidonax

flaviventris.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. —

Rare migrantinfall. Collectedone October 11, 1901.

80.

Empidonax

trailliialnorum.

Alder Flycatcher. —

^Raremigrant.

CollectedoneAugust6, 1900.

81. Pyrocephalus rubineus mexicanus.

Vermilion Flycatcher. —

On March

25, 1901,1 shot an adult _<?,three miles east of Tallahassee.

The

bird was in excellent condition and seemed perfectly at

home

on smallerbushes and a wire fencearound

Lake

Lafayette.

The

specimen

is

now

inthe SmithsonianInstitution collection of birds. Fornoticeof thecapturesee Auk, XVIII,_273.

82. Cyanocittacristata florincola.

Florida Blue

Jay.

—

Very

common

resident; begins nestingbyAprili andcontinuestilllateinAugust.

83. Corvus brachyrhynchos.

American Crow.— Common

resident.

84. Dolichonyx oryzivorus. Bobolink.

—

Migrant. Very erratic, occurring at irregular intervals during spring.

Sometimes

lingers sev- eral days to feed on the oats and millet.

When

present they are very numerous.

85. Molothrusater.

Cowbird. —

^Exists

now

invivid recollection only.

The

birdwas

common

in

Leon County

up to 1893, sincewhich time I

havenever seenasingle specimen, althoughI have

made

everyeffort to find it. Its disappearance is one of the mysteries of ornithology anda parallel case tothe"Disappearanceof theDickcisselfrom theDistrict of Columbia."

86. Agelaius phceniceus.

Red-winged

Blackbird.

— Common

resi- dent,

more numerous

ⁱⁿ

summer.

Highlygregariousinwinter, feeding inthe tallweedsofoldcornfields.

The

male assumesthe

plumage

ofthe female atthis season.

87. Sturnella

magna. Meadowlark. — Common

resident. Very retiring inthe nesting season.

88. Icterus spurius.

Orchard

Oriole.

— Common summer

resident.

Record first arrival,a male, of 1902 on

March

23. Begins to nest very soon after arrival. Pear groves are favorite nestingplaces forthem. I

have seen

many

nests ina radiusof three acres.

They

areveryfond of the long, pendant clusters of Spanish

moss

hanging in such graceful festoons from our large water and live oaks for nesting sites. Before they leave in late

summer

or early fall they

become

very retiring and quiet.

89. Icterus galbula.

Baltimore

Oriole.

— A

rare migrant. I shot one, afemale,in ouryardon

March

3, 1902.

90.

Euphagus

carolinus.

Rusty

Blackbird.

—

Migrant in spring.

Occasionally seen following the ploughmen, gleaningwhat food it can from^thenewlyturned soil.

91. Quiscalus quisculaaglaeus.

Florida Crackle. — Common sum-

mer

resident,arrivinginFebruary.

458 ^Williams,

^{Birds of}

^Leon

County, Fla. LOct

92. Astragalinus tristis.

American Goldfinch. — Common

winter resident,the malearrivinginandretaining the

plumage

ofthe female.

93. Pocecetes gramineus.

Vesper Sparrow. — Common

winter resi- dent. It isthemost abundant sparrowwith us,likely tobe seen inanj

locality,butitsfavorite hauntsaretheoldcotton fields.

On

January22, 1902, ^I shot an albino specimen. This bird was entirely white.

They

werestillwith usonApril 13, 1902.

94. Passerculus sandwichensis savanna.

S.wanna Sparrow. — Of

infrequent winter occurrence. Ihaveonlyonerecord.

95. Coturniculus

savannarum

passerinus.

Grasshopper Sparrow.

— Common

winter resident; remains insmall

numbers

late inspring.

One

^recordaslate asApril27 (1902).

96. Zonotrichia albicollis.

White-throated Sparrow. —

Verycom-

mon

winter resident.

A

dooryard bird of fascinating demeanor and confiding habits.

They

congregatein large flocks in April,preparatory to leaving.

The

latest record of theirpresenceis

May

3 (1903),

when

I

sawtwo.

97. Spizella socialis.

Chipping Sparrow. — Common

winter resi- dent.

98. Spizella pusilla.

Field Sparrow. — Common

winterresident.

99. Peucasa aestivalis bachmanii.

Bachman's Sparrow. — Common

winterresident. Usuallyflushed close toone'sfoot,from dense

broom-

sedge undergrowth in pine thickets.

As

soon asflushed it flies tothe higher branches and sitsthere ina rigid posturewithanexpression of terrifledemotions. Itisrathera solitary bird.

100. Melospiza cinerea melodia.

Song Sparrow. —

Winterresident,, of lessabundancethanseveralothersparrows. Itdoes not sing withus.

loi. Melospiza georgiana.

Swamp Sparrow. — Common

winterresi- dent, remaining,sometimes, late in spring. It frequents high broom- sedgefields asreadily asitdoes the

weedy

marsh.

102. Pipilo erythrophthalmus.

Towhee. —

Resident.

Common

in winter, not nearlysoabundantin

summer.

103. Pipiloerythrophthalmusalleni.

White-eyed Towhee. — Not

so abundantasthe preceding.

Do

notbelieveitoccursin

summer.

104. Cardinalis cardinalis.

Cardinal. — Common

resident.

105. Zamelodia ludoviciana.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak. — Of

veij infrequent occurrence. Recorded once by

my

friend Winthrop. Ihave never seenit.

106. Guiracacserulea.

Blue Grosbeak. — Summer

resident,but not abundant.

The

onlynestI haveever seen was on June 14, 1903. Itcon- tained four half-grownyoung.

107. Cyanospizacyanea. Indigo Bunting.

—

Migrant. Passesthrough thecountyirregularly in spring. Neverabundant.

108. Cyanospizaciris.

Painted Bunting. — The

appearance of this bird in Tallahassee in the latter part of April, 1901,is very littleless

remarkablethan the disappearanceof the

Cowbird

about 1893. Sofar as

^°!gi^^^]

Williams,

Birds_of

Leon

County, Fla.

459

I have observed or learned, the bird has

made

its appearancein

my

county but once.

On

the 23rd of April, 1901, I

was summoned

tothe

home

of a ladyfriend to identify forhercertain littlebirdswhich had lately

made

herback yardatemporary home. Arrivingthere lateinthe evening I founda

number

of these birds quietlyfeedinginthe grassof her lawn.

Though

I had not before seen the species, itwas nodifficult task to identifythem.

She

saidthey had beenthere forfourdays. Idid not find

them

elsewhere,and they disappearedinafewdaysas mysteri- ouslyasthey had come. I wastold byreliable citizens of Apalachicola thatthebirdswere sucha pest thereat this timethatthe peopleof the citywereobliged, in their opinion,to protect theirgardens by resort to the gun. I can account for this unusual occurrence of the bird in northern Florida

upon

one hypothesis only. Justat this timeafearful storm raged on the Gulf coast just to thesouth of Tallahassee.

Many

,

vesselswerewrecked,and housesdestroyed inoneofthe seacoast towns.

Much

of the

wind

and

some

of therainreached

my

county. This

may

have driven thebirdsinlandduringtheirmigration.

109. Piranga erythromelas.

Scarlet Tanager. —

I have but one recordof itsoccurrencein thecounty.

no. Piranga rubra.

Summer Tanager. — A common summer

resi- dent;nestsabundantly. Arrives about

March

30. After the nesting sea-

son andbeforeleavinginthefallthey

become

veryrecluse.

111. Progne subis.

Purple

Mx\rtin.

— Common summer

resident, arrivingin

some numbers

by February 15. Recordsfor arrival for three years: 1901,Feb. 20,2 males; 1902, Feb. _{14, 3,} 2 males, 1 female; _1903, Feb. S, 2.

Those

that

come

first remain.

They

are well established in their

summer

^quartersby themiddleof March. Ialwayserectfor

them

ahouseinour backyardand one of the pleasantest features of the long

summer

^isthe cheerfulnoteof this bird.

They

begin toquit their nest- ing places about the middle ofJune,

when

they betake themselvesand their

young

tothetopmost branches of the tallest oaks,theretoremain

till the

young

are able to shift for themselves.

They

leave thecounty about the middle of July,but occasionallylarge flocks

may

be seen pass- ingovertillthe middleofSeptember.

My

latestrecord is September27 (1901).

112. Iridoprocne bicolor.

Tree Swallow. —

Migrant, occurring at irregular intervals, remaining only a few days.

My

records are: igoo, April 29and

May

5^; 1902,

March

30; 1903,

March

26.

113. Ripariariparia.

Bank Swallow. — So

far as I can learn it is a migrant only, visiting the county in spring and late

summer.

I have seenit in

numbers

on April 16 (1900) and August28(1901). It issaid to nestabundantlyat St.Marks.

114. Ampelis cedrorum.

Cedar Waxwing. — Common

winter resi- dent,prolonging its staylate intothe spring. Arrivesveryirregularly, sometimes in Octoberandagain notuntil a

month

andahalf later.

My

earliestrecordofappearanceisOctober_{19 (1901),}the latest

May

_{8 (1903).}

460 ^Williams,

^{Birds ofLeoti} County, Fla. ^PAuk

IOct

They

feedextensivelyontheberriesof mistletoe,wildolive (Prunus) and

China

tree.

Sometimes

found in

company

with bluebirds and often feeds withrobins.

115. Lanius ludovicianus.

Loggerhead

Shrike.

— Common

resi- dent.

116. Vireo olivaceus.

Red-eyed

Vireo.

—

I cannot regard this bird asanything else than a rare resident. Ihave neverfounditseggs, but have seen an old nest. ^It probably passes further south inwinter,

my

latestrecordbeingOctober 10.

117. Vireo fiavifrons.

Yellow-throated

Vireo.

—

Rare migrant;

onerecordonly,October 15, 1900.

118. Vireonoveboracensis.

White-eyed

Vireo.

—

Perhaps resident, thoughI haveno

summer

record forthecounty. Ifound itin Franklin Count}', near the Gulf coast, in Julyand August, 1901. It isnotacom-

mon

bird inwinter.

119. Mniotilta varia.

Black and White Warbler. —

Winter resi- dent, but not

common.

ArrivesinAugust,remainstillApril.

Mv

earli- estandlatestrecordsare

August

₅ (1896)and

March

31 (1901).

120. Protonotaria citrea.

Prothonotary Warbler. — Summer

resi- dent, but not

common.

Ihavetaken two sets ofeggs, the lastApril29, 1899. In bothcasesthe nestwas in acypress

swamp.

121. Helminthophila bachmanii.

Bachman's Warbler. — ^Only

^one

record. Itook thisspecimen on

August

4, 1900.

122. Compsothlypis americana.

Parula Warbler. —

So far as I

have been able to discover, this is a migrant only. I found it quite abundant on August6, 1896,and in March, 1903. I havenorecordsfor anyothermonth, though it is probable that it occurs inSeptember and April.i

123. Dendroica aestiva.

Yellow Warbler. —

I believe this is a mio^rant only, although I found it rather

common

in Franklin

County

betweenJuly 20and

August

i, 1901. Itisnot residentwith usin winter.

124. Dendroicacoronata.

Myrtle Warbler. — Common

winterresi- dent; oneofthe

commonest

birds

we

have. Spends

much

ofits timeon theground^; almosta terrestrial bird in

Leon

County. It moults before leavingforthe northin spring.

I2t;. Dendroicadominica.

Yellow-throated Warbler — Common

summer

^resident; nests early.

As

Ihave arecordforJanuary3 (1901), it isprobablethat the birdisa resident.

120. Dendroicavigorsii.

Pine Warbler. —

Resident;

more

abundant inwinter.

127. Dendroica

palmarum. Palm Warbler. —

Winterresident,spend- ingmostofits timeon the ground.

1Since writing the aboveIhave discoveredevidencethatquiteconclusively provesthatthisspecies nests in the county. Icollected two specimens, one undoubtedlyyoungof theyear,onJuly23, 1904.

^"I'g^^^l

Williams,

Birds of^Leott County, Fla.

46

1

128. Dendroica

palmarum

hypochrysea.

Yellow Palm Warbler. —

Winterresident; rather

common;

foundassociatedwitiithe preceding.

129. Dendroica discolor. Prairie

Warbler. —

Migrant. I have no record exceptforAugust.

Found

it rather

common

on James^{Island, in} Franklin County, betweenJuly 20and

August

i, 1901.

130. Seiurus aurocapillus. Oven-bird.

—

Rare migrant.

Have

seen but one,

March

2, 1902.

131. Geothlypis trichas.

Maryland Yellow-throat. — Common

resident, nesting around marshes and ponds, retiring to high land in winter; itisa

common

hedge-rowbird atthisseason.

132. Icteria virens.

Yellow-brea.sted Chat. — ^Summer

^resident;

not

common. A

fewnestshavebeen found.

133. Wilsonia mitrata.

Hooded Warbler. —

^{Migrant; never abun-}

dant. Ihavenorecord of its occurrence betweenApril 13 and July 16,

and nowinterrecord.

134. Setophaga ruticilla.

American Redstart. —

Migrant; lingers ashorttime infall.

My

earliest record is

August

28, 1901,

when

I

saw

twomales.

Saw

anotherin Franklin

County

on September2i, 1901.

135.

Anthus

pensilvanicus.

American

Pipit.

—

Probably a winter residentin smallnumbers. I havenever seen it. It has been taken once andseen severaltimesby Winthrop.

136.

Mimus

polyglottos.

Mockingbird. — ^Common

^resident.

137. Galeoscoptes carolinensis. Catbird.

—

Winter resident, but not

common. Remains

as lateinspringasApril_{27 {1901).}

138.

Toxostoma

rufum.

Brown Thrasher. — Common

resident.

139. Thryothorus ludovicianus.

Carolina Wren. — Common

resi- dent.

140.

Thryomanes

bewickii.

Bewick's Wren. —

Rather

common

win- terresident.

141. Troglodytesaedon.

House Wren. — Common

winterresident.

142. Olbiorchilus hiemalis.

Winter Wren. —

Winter resident, in smallnumbers.

143. Cistothorus stellaris.

Short-billed Marsh Wren. —

Rather

common

winterresident.

144. Certhiafamiliaris americanus.

Brown Creeper. — Have

never seenit. There isonerecord of its occurrence. This one flew intothe houseof afriend andwascaptured.

145. Sitta pusilla.

Brown-headed Nuthatch. —

Resident, not com-

mon. Have

takentwo setsof eggs.

146. Baeolophus bicolor.

Tufted Titmouse. —

Rather

common

resi- dent.

147. Parus carolinensis.

Carolina Chickadee. — Common

resi- dent.

148. Regulussatrapa.

Golden-crowned Kinglet. — Common

win- terresident;

may

pass further southfor a brief period.

149. Reguluscalendula.

Ruby-crowned

Kinglet.

— Common

winter resident.

462 Williams,

Birds of Leon Comity, Fla. _Loct

150. Polioptila caerulea.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. — Summer

resi- dent.

ii;!. Hylocichla mustelina.

Wood Thrush. —

Rare migrantinspring.

152. Hylocichla guttata pallasii.

Hermit Thrush. — Common

win- ter resident.

Thej

seemtobe distributed,twoorthree to each piece of woodland.

153. Merula migratoria. Robin.

— Common

winter resident. Feeds extensivelyontheberries of

China

tree,

dogwood

andolive tree {Pntntts).

Large

numbers

of

them

are frequently seen feeding on the recently burned marshesofthelarge lakesandponds.

The

bird's billhas changed to black before it reaches our borders.

They

reach northern Florida about

November

i,andarenot

common

till the20th.

By

April 15 they havedisappeared.

The

Legislature has placed

them

on the

game

list.

154. Sialiasialis. Bluebird.

— Common

resident. In the past two yearsits

numbers

havebeen appreciabl}'

augmented

andit seems

now

on the roadto i^ecoveryfrom the disastrouswintersof 1894and 1899.

Addenda.

This

article

was prepared

in the spring of

1904 from

notes

which

I then

had

with

me

in

Washington.

Since itscompletion I

have

returned to

my home and

in tlie brief space^{of a}

month,

in the midst ofotherduties,

added two

species to the list.

155. Actitismacularia.

Spotted

Sandpiper.

— One

heardduringthe early part of the night of

August

5, 1904.

Much

rain hadfallen for sev- eraldaysandthestreetswere runningwith water.

The

birdwasfeeding in the street in front of our yard. Its characteristic notes could be plainly heard

when

it shifted its positionfrom oneside of the street to theother.

156. Seiurusmotacilla. Louisiana

Water-Thrush. —

First recordof thespecieswas

made

on_July 23,1904,

when

Isaw one andheard another.