134 FLORIDA BIRD-LIFE 



their wants. In vain they uttered their frog-like kek-kek- 

 kek, and stretched their necks hopefully. The old birds 

 were not assured. So the young resorted to their custo- 

 mary occupations of leg- or wing- stretching, or yawning, 

 or preening a brother's or sister's feathers, picking at 

 imaginary objects here and there ; all good exercises for 

 growing birds. The larger ones made little journeys to the 

 limbs near the nests, the necks taking a different curve with 

 every movement, and expressing every emotion from 

 extreme dejection to alert and eager expectancy. Finally, as 

 the old birds were convinced that the blind was harmless, 

 their reward came. With harsh, rattling notes and raised 

 crest, one of the parents alit near the nest. Its superbly 

 threatening attitude was clearly not alarming to the young 

 l)irds, who welcomed it by voice and upstretched, extended 

 neck. Gravely the i^arent stood regarding its young, while 

 its crest dro]^ped and its ])ose relaxed. Then, as it stepped 

 to the edge of the nest, it lowered its head, when its bill was 

 immediately seized by one of the youngsters. The feeding 

 scene which followed was exactly like that described in the 

 chapter on the Florida Great Blue Heron. 



This Heron rookery may be described as a by-product of 

 a reservation maintained primarily for hunting purposes. 

 The immediate response of the surviving birds to the pro- 

 tection given them when their almost depleted rookery pass- 

 ed into the possession of the sportsman's association, now 

 owning it, is encouraging evidence of what may be done in 

 other localities, if the laws are enforced. Such work, how- 

 ever, should not be undertaken without the assurance that it 

 will be continuous and adequate. The co-operation of the 

 National Association of Audubon Societies, should be se- 

 cured. In its hands a small endowment may be made to 

 accomplish wonders in bird preservation. 



