NORTH AMEEICAN MAESH BIRDS 169 



on it, based on his observations made at Edward A. Mcllhenny's 

 preserve at Aveiy Island, Louisiana. I quote from his notes, sub- 

 stantially in his own words, as follows: 



Migration is spread over a long period; some birds arrive at Avery Island early 

 in March, the bulk come in mid- April and others not until May. On first arrival 

 and for some time after, the birds are in flocks; mating then takes place (out on 

 the feeding grounds, according to reports). The mated pairs no longer join the 

 flock at its roosting place; but they jointly select a nest site. They may change 

 their minds once or twice, but eventually, before building, they spend several 

 days in a regular honeymoon. During most of this time they sit side by side, 

 with one resting its head against the other's flanks. Now and again a special 

 ceremony, which I have not seen at other times, is indulged in; with loud cries 

 the birds face each other and lean their necks forward, partly or wholly inter- 

 twining them, each feverishly nibbling at the other's aigrettes. 



One or the other appears to be on the nest site continuously. When one has 

 been away feeding and returns to the other, a second type of ceremony occurs; 

 this may be called the greeting ceremony and is the commonest seen in the species. 

 In both birds (typically) the crest, neck feathers, and aigrettes are raised, the 

 head is somewhat thrown up, revealing the patch of buff on the chin, the wings 

 are spread and a special cry is uttered as the returning bird alights and walks 

 through the branches to its mate. This, like most other ceremonies of the 

 species, is a mutual one. 



Nest building soon starts. It is my experience that the male usually, perhaps 

 always, finds the sticks for the nest, and brings and gives them to the female, 

 who then does the actual building. The giving of each stick is accompanied by 

 a greeting ceremony. 



After incubation has started, both birds take turns at sitting. The times of 

 relief are somewhat irregular, though it appears that there are usually about 

 four changes in the 24 hours, and that the female usually sits at night. Each 

 time a nest relief occurs, there is normally a greeting ceremony, the attitude 

 being kept up all the time the birds are changing places. This, however, does 

 not close the performance. Almost invariably the bird which has been relieved 

 goes and fetches one or (almost always) several sticks, which it presents to the 

 sitting bird. The presentation is made in the greeting attitude. The sitting 

 bird then builds the stick into the nest. I have seen as many as 11 sticks pre- 

 sented after one nest relief. The last one or two presentations are often charac- 

 terized by a lower degree of emotional tension, as revealed in the degree of feather 

 raising. Nest relief and stick bringing continue after the young are hatched 

 and presumably until they leave the nest. 



Another ceremony, which is much less commonly seen, appears to be perform- 

 ed by the male alone. In this the bird droops its wings, erects its neck verti- 

 cally and its head almost so and gives vent to a groaning sound. 



While brooding the bird often digs the angle of the wing into the contour 

 feathers of the body, so that it is covered by a regular flap of these. If the 

 bird is now slightly alarmed, it may stand up without opening its wings. This 

 must push the flaps forward, for they then stand out at right angles to the body 

 like epaulettes. So far as I could see, these epaulettes were never used in any 

 display, although they were striking and gave the bird a bizarre appearance. 



Nesting.— 1 have seen many breeding rookeries of Louisiana herons 

 and have spent many pleasant hours studying them, for they are by 

 far the most abundant of all the southern herons. My first experience 

 with them was in the extensive marshes of the upper St. Johns River 



