Michael J. Fogarty

From the fall of 1967 through the winter of 1972-73, 2,365 common snipe (Capella gallinago) were banded on Paynes Prairie, a wetlands south of Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida. Cattle-grazed maiden-cane (Panicum hem1tomen) was the preferred cover for snipe. Fall migrants came in late-September. The wintering population stabilized from mid-November through lateFebruary. Spring departure began in mid-March; only a few stragglers remained on the study area after the middle of April. Snipe weighed an average of 100 g from October through March and 112 g in April. Band recoveries showed...

During the summers of 1969 and 1970, 668 Florida Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos julvigula, Ridgway) were banded from an inland and two coastal breeding populations. Of the 81 band returns, 51 (63.0%) were recovered 10 to 270 miles from the release sites. Most of the ducks (71.4%) were recovered within 49 miles of the release sites.

During the winters of 1967-68 and 1968-69, 1,015 common snipe (Capella gallinago) were banded on a fresh water marsh in north central Florida including 994 which were captured with mist nets. The most productive techniques were driving the birds into nets concentrated in areas of heavy snipe utilization, and intercepting snipe along regular flight lanes. Net type, mesh size, color, and field techniques are described. Other capture methods are briefly discussed. References on the general use of mist-nets to capture birds can be found but few describe a netting technique for snipe....

Thirty-six immature alligators (Alligator mississippensis) collected from a canal in the Everglades were examined for information on summer food preferences. A snail (Pomacea paludosa) comprised 65.8 percent by volume of the stomach contents. Invertebrates accounted for 98.0 percent by volume of the total stomach contents.