In general the fauna of the State is similar to that of the southern and eastern States. Buzzards, bear, deer, otter, wildcat (lynx), coons, possums, rabbits, squirrels are found. The puma, manatee (sea cow), alli gator and crocodile were formerly present in great numbers but have decreased rapidly in recent years owing to the settlement of their native haunts by man and the increased effi ciency of the modern hunter through the intro duction of weapons of precision, like the breech-loading magazine rifle. Ducks and wild turkeys are still numerous in the more remote regions. Snakes are by no means as scarce as some venders of grape-fruit groves would have us believe, but probably Florida is no worse off in this respect than its neighborin States of the South. Of the larger pelicans and egrets were once plentiful, hut the latter have been almost exterminated by hunters seeking their plumes. Sponges are cut in considerable quantities along the Gulf Coast.
The northern or continental part of the State has a flora similar to other parts of southeastern North America, while that of the south is affiliated with the flora of South America and the West Indies, and appears to form a connecting link between the latter and the flora of North America. About f9ur-fifths of the species of southern Florida are common to the West Indies, Mexico, and South Amer ica. The forests are estimated at 27,000,000 acres, two-thirds the area of the State; largely consisting of live-oak, hickory, long-leaved pine, pitch-pine, and cypress. Yellow pine is also plentiful. Florida has about half of the varieties of forest trees found in the United States, com prising 202 species and including 281 native and cultivated trees. Peculiar to the State are the °Florida mahogany" or red hay, cachihou, satin wood, kino-gum, manchineel, Indian almond, wild orange, coconut, yew and savin. Gum trees, magnolia, several species of palmetto, and red maple are common also. Whole districts in the State are covered with a dense undergrowth of shrubs, with little or no grass beneath. The spruce pine covers large areas together with several kinds of evergreen shrubs. °Flor ida scrub* is the popular name for this dense type of vegetation.
Forest The lumber and timber product of Florida, with the tar, turpentine, and ship stores, amount to about $40,000,000 yearly, or 75 per cent more than all the rest of the State's manufactures together. The private timber holdings in the State exceed 17,000,000 acres and the stand of timber is estimated at 74 billion feet, board measure. This stand is made up of 80 per cent of pine, 15 per cent of cypress, and the remainder of hard woods. In a recent year the 490 saw mills of the State turned out over 1,000,000,000 feet of pine lumber, laths, 85,000,000 feet of cypress; 1,300,000 feet of hickory; about the same quantity of oak, yellow poplar, and cedar; and lesser quantities of ash, cottonwood, red gum, elm, tupelo gum, etc. This was all dressed lumber, exclusive of poles, railway ties, staves, etc., and was valued at $17,000,000.
The production of turpentine has greatly increased in the last decade, about 20,000,000 gallons being now produced annually at a value of about $14,000,000. Rosin is produced at the rate of over 2,000,000 barrels annually, and brings over $5 per barrel. Tar is also produced in ever-increasing quantities. Since the entry of the United States into the World War, and owing to the unprecedented demand for ships, both of wood and steel, the quantities of turpentine, tar, rosin, and ship stores pro duced in Florida have been greatly increased as has also the timber cut.
Fish and Florida's enormous coast-line in the mid-continental seas gives its fisheries the greatest extent and value of any State south of Virginia; they employ over 9,000 men. The total number of species of fish in the coastal waters of Florida is estimated at 500, and many species found off the Atlantic are not found off the Gulf coast and vice versa. The tarpon and the kingfish afford splendid sport to fishermen, while shad, mullet, red snappers, trout, pompano, sheepshead and Spanish mackerel are taken for their economic value. Pensacola is the most important fresh fish market on the Gulf. About 350 vessels are engaged in the fishing industry, the catch is over $3,500,000 a year; it is usually packed in ice and shipped to the populous centres of the North. The sponge fishery is peculiar to Florida, and centres in Key West; it has pro duced as much as $550,000 a year. Alligators are caught for their skins, but their number is fast diminishing: Minerals and Florida has no metals, and its mineral industries are of rock and earths. The chief is the mining of phos phate rock for fertilizers, in which it rivals any other district of the world. It is in various forms—hard and soft rock, land and river pebble, and vertebrate remains. The hard rock — much the most valuable, containing 80 per cent phosphate of lime — is found in a belt skirting the Gulf from Tallahassee nearly to Tampa. The centre of the industry is Dun nellon, Marion County, and pebble phosphate is found in Hillsborough, De Soto, Citrus, Os ceola and Hernando counties. Phosphate was discovered in and since then the product has risen to important proportions. The pebble phosphate was long unpopular, but improved methods of treatment now make it as desirable as the hard rock phosphate, which for many years was the only kind that figured in the ex ports. In 1915, 1,358,611 long tons, valued at $3,762,209 were produced. Production that year was at a low ebb, the industry being in poor condition because of the war. Shortly after the outbreak of hostilities production was cur tailed by many companies and some suspended operations altogether. The year 1916 witnessed a gradual improvement in this industry, still the production in that year was only about 65 per cent of that of 1913, the last normal year before the war. The 1916 figures are 1,515,845 long tons, valued at $4,170,165. Florida in that year produced 76 per cent of the total of phos phate rock in the United States.