Marble Hill press., 1921-08-11

Prairie . yrlral = The ~-cu.-i "pfairies' = The
swamp Th~-. prnlr.s arr essentially marshes
WITH more - less nivu water. hut practically
nt.-i s.th q luNuriauf growth - aquatic plants
Tf,-s. iHyiut. Rafrr lilies maiden euu", pitcher
plants arru~ head arrow arIm. saw gras~. fern,
paint r.s and sphHsrum- They a-r thr faN"reH
rrs.srt - waterfowl H.rv and there on the
graIrirs stand picturesque giumps " heads %
cyprrss and pine Yet abundant crupS ~ c'ru
and sweet potatoes nr, raised .a ths swamp and
much ~ 10 mas p" wa'e'i
FruurIs Hart-r assistant biologist y th" tui
tel Stzfrs biologral survey contributes au Inter
,stlus article ou ~oksHBokrv swamp ns he>"r
walton" ta Natural History. ~ Us animal and
plant NE h~ snyS IN Iarf
Tnrrc arr probably between NE and two hun.
ar,-i black h.aFs IN the swamp and lts Immediate
cuvtroa.: the Florida deer j. rather common
and vrlldistribu,sd species Oh The Islands and 10
other PARTS % the swamp ~" Florida otter i
q fairly cunmun drn,E~n ~ this wilderness; seN.
aral paufhsr~ have hcvu rycor'issi about the Dor
dcr~ within the past frw year. Florida vol
was killri near the elge ~ the swamp about iNlo:
and same animal believed 20 ~ wof was heard
In the swamp several times in lpid This species
ls virtually extinct and thers arr only one or
'~-o specimens lu the museums ~ the country.
That curious little animal. the Florida water rat
,r round 'allcd muSkrat (N-orher allenD, has
'ust r,rrutly been discovered ia the swamp. II
Is ycry abundant herr in It's only known habitat
In GeyrSia
n. Nurybill our greatest and most maEnih.
cent woodp.-cker now 90 the very verge OF ex;inc'
,inu has maintained In the Osennokee one of us
last s,runsholds Tho grcat pilratsd wcodp"cker,
s.ar~rly less spiendd than the voryhlll is aston
tshtngly abundant us numbers her~ perhaps sur
passing th"~e ~ any other part " The country.
The American cgrrt once nearly eNtcrminated
for It's plumes, has been found breeding in the
a. Ys IA has h.NRla -
wla,er refuge The okeAnokee is the only place
In Georgia where one may and the sand,hi crane
and the limpkin The former Is resident and
quite common species but only one or two OF the
curious and fast disappearing limpkins have been
observed In the swamp, which doubtless repre-
sents the northern limit Of their breeding range
The wcod duck Is resident species of which
there are probably hundreds Of individuals in the
swamp. In the entire country there Is perhaps
no other equally favorable habitat for this rare
and beautiful little duck.
As wlnterlng ground for migratory waterfowl
the Okefnokee is OF very considerable Importance
Eleven species Of interest 10 game conservation
lists found wintering In l9l8iT, In numbers
loosely estimated as follows hooded merganser,
several hundred; mallarh, several thousand; black
duck; lcua; green.winged teal, %. ptntail 50;
wood duck 800; rinenecked duck several hun
tir,4l. snnd.hul crane, 100; wooicock 100: VII
sons snlpe $40, kaeer, 100 Altogether about
~ species OF birds have been recorded from the
swamp in summer. and about 80 IN winter AT
the latter season 1t attracts great numbers Of
berry aud fruit eating birds,
AT present considerable amount Of hunting
In carried on chiefly by residents in and about
the swamp. Deer, bears, and wildcats are hunted
with hounds at virtually all seasons OF the year.
Not only the cr'Inary game birds, but also such
species as the wood ibis, Wards heron, sand hill
crane. and occasionally even a cormorant or a
water turkey, killed and eaten. The wood
duck although protected by both state and fed.