The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1921-08-13
QEEZ2VOKEE IIllAIN0

Prairie is typical of the sO-caed "prairies OF the
swamp. These pralries essentially Marshes
with less open water. but practlcally
filled with luxuriant growth of aquatic plants
These include water lilies. maiden cane, pltcher
plants, arrowhead arrow arum saw grass IerH
paint root and sphagnum- They are the faVOreu
resort of waterfowl. Here and there on 'le
prairieS stand picturesque clumpS or heaus vi
cypress and pine. Yet abundant crops OF corn
and sweet potatoes are raised in the swamp anu
much of it may be waded
Francis Harper, assistant biologist Of the UNI
ted States biological survey contributes an inter-
esting article on "OkefinOSee Swamp as heser
walton" to Natural History. OF its animal anu
plant life he says, in part:
There are probably between one and two nun
dred black bears in the swamp and Its immaculate
environs; the Florida deer is rather common
and well-distributed species on the ISLANDS anu III
other PARTS of the swamp the Florida otter Is
a fairly common denizen CT this wilderness; sew
eral panthers have been recorded about the Dor
ders within the past few years Florida Won
was killed near the edge of the swamp about lSlO'
and some animal believed TO be a wolf was heard
in the swamp several times In 1916. This species
is virtually extinct and there are only one or
two specmens in the museums OF the country
That curious little animal. the Florida water rat
or round-tailed muskrat (NeOfber allenD has
inst recently been discovered in the swamp. 1t
is very abundant here in its only known habitat
in Georgia.
The ivorybill our greatest and most magnih-
cent wOodpecker, now on the very verge OF eXtinc-
+ion has maintained in the OketinOkee one of Its
last strongholds The great pileated wOodpecker.
scarcely less splendid than the ivOrybil, is aston
ishinrly abundant its plumbers here perhaps sur
passng those of any other part of the country.
The American egret once nearly eXtermlnated
for its plumes, has been found breeding in the
euyirons of the swamp. L. also has here safe
nlyo6Dn 10 no
in Georgia where one may ind the sandhill crane
and the limpkin. The former is a resident and
quite common species, but only one or two of the
curious and fast-disappearing nmpkins have been
observed in the swamp. which doubtless repre-
sents the northern limit of their breeding range.
The wood 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 winter1ng ground for migratory waterfowl
the Okefnokee Is Of very considerable Importance
Eleven species Of interest to game conservation
lists were found wntering in 1867, in numbers
loosely estimated as follows: hooded merganser
several hundred mallard. several thousand; black
duck; 1000; green-wnged teal, 25; pintail, so
wood duck, 500; ring-necked duck several hun
dred sand-hill crane, 100; wOOdcock, 100; viii
sons snipe, 500; killdeer. 100 Altogether about
So species of birds have been recorded from the
swamp in summer, and about 80 in winter Al
the latter season it attracts great numbers Of
berry and fruit-eating birds.
At present a considerable amount of hunting
is carried on, chiefly by residents in and abou
the swamp Deer bears, and wildcats are huntet
with hounds at virtually all seasons of the year
Not only the ordinary game birds, but also sucl
species as the wood ibis Wards heron sand-hil
crane and occasionally cOrmorant
water turkey, are killed and eaten. The wOoc
duck, although protected by both state and fed