NORTH AMERICAN MARSH BIRDS 107 



make a heronry far from pleasant and one has to expect an occasional 

 shower bath from one or both ends of a frightened young heron. 



Young herons are particularly noisy at feeding times and, as this 

 is an almost continuous performance in a hirge rookery, there is 

 always more or less chattering to be heard, which sounds like the 

 barking of small puppies or the squealing of young pigs. 



E. S. Cameron (1906) thus describes an interesting squabble caused 

 by a young heron climbing into a nest where he did not belong: 



Several times it seemed likely to fall into the water but managed to regain 

 its balance with violent flapping of wings. Later, when all was quiet again, the 

 four real owners of this nest stood erect indignantly protesting at this outrage 

 on their rights, and one bolder than the rest endeavored to eject the intruder. 

 The newcomer as valiantly resisted, and, being of the same size, a protracted 

 and most extraordinary battle ensued which I witnessed through my binoculars. 

 The birds would feint, and spar for a hold, until one was able to seize the other by 

 the neck when, exerting all its strength, it endeavored to drag its antagonist over 

 the side of the nest. Both in turn had the advantage and swayed backwards 

 and forwards, while the three noncombatants crouched down in characteristic 

 fashion, so that the battle was waged partly on their bodies and partly on the edge 

 of the nest. The fight was continued until an old bird arrived with fish, when the 

 five nestlings again stood erect, and, in the general scramble for food, the parent 

 fed all without discrimination. As it became too dark for binoculars I saw no 

 more that evening, but next morning the duel was renewed until the interloper 

 became exhausted, and, being driven from the nest, scrambled down the branch 

 to its rightful abode. As far as I could see, all the other young birds lived in 

 perfect harmony. 



Plumages. — In the downy, young, great blue heron, the top and 

 sides of the head are thickly covered with long whitish and grayish 

 plumes, one inch or more long, " light olive gray " to " pale olive gray," 

 grayer, basally and whiter terminally; the back -is thickly covered with 

 long, soft down, " light mouse gray " basally to " pallid mouse gray " ter- 

 minally; the flanks and belly are more scantily covered with soft, 

 white down; and the throat is naked. The young bird begins to 

 acquire its plumage at an early age; before it is one-third grown its 

 head, neck, and body is well feathered and its flight feathers are grow- 

 ing, but the downy plumes persist on the crown, and the rump re- 

 mains downy until the young bird is nearly fully grown. 



In this first, or juvenal, plumage the crown is "dark mouse gray"; 

 the cheeks, chin, and throat are white; the neck is variegated with 

 grays and browns, and spotted with black and pale russet ; the upper 

 parts, back, and wing coverts are plain gray, ''deep mouse gray" to 

 "deep Quaker drab," without any signs of plumes anywhere; the 

 feathers of the greater, median and lesser wing coverts are broadly 

 edged with "^russet" or "pinkish cinnamon" and there is at first a 

 white spot on the tip of each greater covert feather; these spots and 

 edgings gradually fade and wear off; the breast is streaked with dusky^ 



