THE MISSISSIPPI RESERVES 297 



tops. The small birds we found on the islands 

 were red-winged blackbirds, Louisiana seaside 

 sparrows, and long-billed marsh-wrens — - which 

 last had built their domed houses among the 

 bushes, in default of tall reeds. On one island 

 Job discovered a night-hawk on her nest. She 

 fluttered off, doing the wounded-bird trick, 

 leaving behind her an egg and a newly hatched 

 chick. He went off to get his umbrella-house, 

 and when he returned the other egg was hatch- 

 ing, and another little chick, much distressed 

 by the heat, appeared. He stood up a clam- 

 shell to give it shade, and then, after patient 

 waiting, the mother returned, and he secured 

 motion-pictures of her and her little family. 

 These birds offer very striking examples of real 

 protective coloration. 



The warm shallows, of course, teem with mol- 

 lusks as well as with fish — not to mention the 

 shrimps, which go in immense silver schools, 

 and which we found delicious eating. The oc- 

 casional violent storms, when they do not de- 

 stroy islands, throw up on them huge dikes or 

 ramparts of shells, which makes the walking 

 hard on the feet. 



There are more formidable things than shells 

 in the warm shallows. The fishermen as they 

 waded near shore had to be careful lest they 



