3 1 2 Bird - Lore 



of these birds in our country. During the summer of 1922 our guards protected 

 ten colonies of Snowy Egrets. They were distributed as follows: One at 

 Craney Island, east of Beaufort, Carteret Co., N. C; one at the reservoir of 

 the Santee Club, one at Penny Dam Reservoir, and one at GrimbaH's Buzzard 

 Island, Charleston Co., S. C. 



In Florida, colonies were protected at Orange Lake, Levy County; west of 

 Micanopy in Alachua County; and San Sebastian River colony in St. Lucie 

 County. 



In Louisiana, one colony was guarded in West Feliciana Parish; and one in 

 Cameron Parish. 



In Texas, birds were breeding in our protected Reddish Egret colony on 

 Green Island, Cameron County. 



In addition to the above there were colonies of nesting birds on Orton 

 Plantation, Brunswick Co., N. C. {Bird-Lore, 1920, p. 255); and on Ossabaw 

 Island, Chatham Co., and St. Catherine's Island, Liberty Co., Ga. {Bird-Lore, 

 1922, p. 185). They were also undoubtedly breeding on Cumberland Island, 

 Camden Co., Ga. ('Wilson's Bulletin,' June, 1922, p. 85); at Avery Island, 

 Iberia Parish, La. ; and at Wolf Point Ranch, Matagorda Co., Texas {Bird-Lore, 

 1920, p. 321). 



William Leon Dawson reported {The Condor, 1915, p. 97) on May 26, 1914 

 a small colony in Merced Co., Calif.; and Dr. E. W. Nelson has written me 

 of a breeding place at the mouth of Bear River in Utah. During recent 

 years they were also reported breeding on Mosquito Inlet Reservation, 

 Volusia Co., and at Passage Key Reservation, Manatee Co., Fla. 



Most of these nesting places are in the immediate vicinity of the coast or 

 the swampy lowlands of the coastal plain. I know of only one in the Southern 

 States that is situated as far as 90 miles inland. This is in a place known as 

 'The Burn,' about 30 miles south of Natchez, Miss. {Bird-Lore, 1920, p. 259.) 



General Notes. — It is the custom of most American Herons while feeding 

 to stand motionless and allow their prey to swim up to them, or with great 

 care move slowly through the shallow water, therefore giving the appearance 

 of sedateness and great dignity. The feeding habits of the Snowy Egrets are 

 noticeably different. They rush on their prey and turn and dart about in an 

 extremely active manner. While thus engaged, with wings half raised and 

 plumage fluttering in the wind, they present a most charming and animated 

 sight. Like all other Herons they feed on such small life as they can capture 

 along the margins of ponds and sloughs. They are particularly fond of minnows 

 and, like the Little Blue Heron, feed their young chiefly on this diet. The fish 

 and other prey are never carried in the bill. It is always swallowed as quickly 

 as captured and later is regurgitated into the throats of their young. They 

 make long flights in quest of food, sometimes going as far as 15 miles or more 

 from the heronry for this purpose. 



They assemble to breed with others of their kind in heronries, usually called 



