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“This fine bird is found during winter on all the large muddy flats of the coast of Florida that are intermixed with beds of racoon [sic] oysters. As the tide rises it approaches the shores, and betakes itself to the wet savannahs. … Some-times you see it wading in the water up to its body, and when about to lose ground, it rises and extends its wings, still continuing to search for fry, until forced to fly off by the increased depth of the water, when it alights on the shore and recommences its operations.”—John James Audubon