The Home-Life of the American Egret 



67 



like kck-krk^krk. an.l sli 

 assured. So tlu' \ouiig 1 

 stretching, or \a\v11i1114, 

 imaginary ohjcils hcri' 

 larger ones made link' 



lu'd tlu'ir necks lio|)cfull\ . 'I'lu' old hirds were not 

 irU'd to du'ir customary (K(U|)ation^. ol' leg- or wing- 



])rcc'in'n,g a hrother's or sisterV feathers, jjicking at 

 d llu're, all good exercises for growing hirds. The 

 rne\s to the limbs near the nests, the n'eck taking a 



different cur\e with ever\ movement, and expressing every emotion from extreme 

 dejection to alert and eager exjK'ctaiu y. h'inally, as the old hirds 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 superb!)- threatening 



attitude was clearly not alarming to the young birds, who welcomed it b\- voice 

 and upstretched, extended neck. Gravely the parent stood regarding its young, 

 while its crest dropped and its pose relaxed. Then, as it step})ed to the edge of 

 the nest, it lowered its head, when its bill was immediately seized by one of the 

 youngsters. The young bird did not thrust its bill down the parental throat, 

 nor was the ])arenl's bill introduced into that of its offsjjring. The hold of the 

 young bird was such as one would take with a ])air of shears, if one were to atlemj)l 

 to cut ofif the adult's bill at the base. In thi> manner the old bird's head was 

 drawn down into the nest, where the more or less digested tlsh was disgorged, 

 and at once devoured by the young. 



Three days ])assed before j)ictures were secured of this singular operation, 



