SNOWY HERON 85 



parents that never came; the young birds were doomed to 

 death by starvation, while, in all probability, some woman 

 who thinks more of pet cats and of feathers than of 

 mother birds with starving babies, was displaying the 

 nuptial and breeding plumes of the dead parents of these 

 little Snowy Herons. (Fig. 29.) If no market were 

 created by women wearing such plumes, there would be 

 no incentive to hunt and destroy these birds during their 

 breeding lives. 



One female had evidently lost her mate. I photo- 

 graphed her frequently from the tent for several days. 

 At no time did the male come to the nest to assist the 

 little mother in appeasing the hunger of her two fledg- 

 lings. I named her ' ' The Young Widow Ardea Candidis- 

 sima,"and like all young widows she was the very essence 

 of beauty and propriety. When she came to the nest to 

 feed, her manners were those of a modest, solicitous, 

 loving parent, whose thoughts were centered on the duty 

 of caring for her brood. The feeding act was not one 

 of a perfunctory character, performed because nature 

 demanded it ; it was done from a truly motherly instinct. 

 As she approached the young her attitude was one of 

 enthusiastic anticipation. Look how she clucks with glee, 

 as she strolls down a nearby limb toward the nest, with 

 its anxious, hungry babies, whose calls are always, 

 ''more, more, more!" (Fig. 30.) See how she displays 

 her lovely nuptial plumage! How each delicate feather 

 vibrates, like nothing else of which one can think ! Shame 

 on any woman whose vanity would create a market for 

 this Heron's maternity garments! Just watch this 

 bird as she gently steps upon the threshold of her 

 brood! Her steps are queenly and dignified! Observe 

 how she impartially distributes a little to this one and to 

 that: no favors shown; all must be served alike. Even 

 though the mother has fished all day in some distant 

 shallow pond she must disgol'ge from her meager supply, 

 food probably needed for her own sustenance. 



On one occasion, a young bird had left the nest a few 

 feet. The mother came, fed those that had remained in 

 the nest, but refused to feed the disobedient one until it 

 had returned. On another, after feeding, she caressed 

 her brood, brushed her pearly white feathers until they 



