THE EGRET 



139 



glided into a minor rookery which was only halfway to the 

 sanctum sanctorum of the saintly-appearing bird in white. 

 Egrets and Great Blue Herons were here nesting in peaceful 

 neighborliness. The great ragged platforms of sticks that 

 formed the homes of each species were scattered indiscrimi- 

 nately upon adjoining trees over a couple of acres of space. 

 They were high up on the outspreading boughs, and the 



EGRETS AND LITTLE BLUE HERONS 



great birds, broad of wing, flapped noisily therefrom at our 

 approach and went squawking away. It was the twentieth 

 of May, and both kinds had well-feathered young, which 

 were visible as they stood up in the nests or climbed out on 

 the neighboring branches. As we remained quiet to watch, 

 the old birds began to pass silently overhead, and even to 

 alight on the nests. The shower passed with a mere sprinkle 

 and I had a brief season of sunshine for photography, but 

 under great difficulties, in the thickness and shadow of the 



