SPREAD OF THE CATTLE EGRET — SPRUNT 273 



tho birds at Key West. Mrs, Sprunt saw a cattle egret take a frog at 

 the Eagle Bay Ranch near Okeechobee; another bird saw it and at- 

 tempted to rob the original captor. During the ensuing fracas the 

 frog escaped but was recaptured and swallowed by the bird that first 

 secured it. Frank W. McLaughlin wrote under date of May 21, 1954, 

 that he had seen a bird on May 2 in Burlington County, N. J. (pine- 

 barren area) , catch and eat a Fowler's toad {Bufo woodhousii) . After 

 sweeping it back and forth through water, it tossed the toad upward, 

 then caught and swallowed it head first. Two or three others were 

 obtained while he watched. 



In a letter dated December 16, 1953, Roger T. Peterson says, "I was 

 interested to learn that you [the present writer] had seen them 

 [cattle egrets] take ticks off cows." Actually, as said above, I do not 

 know whether what the cattle egret takes off cows are ticks. The birds 

 certainly take something off the legs, neck, and belly of cows fre- 

 quently. Peterson says that "every author I have read indicates that 

 ticks are very unimportant in the diet of the cattle egret." This may 

 very well be so elsewhere, and maybe in this country. Ticks have cer- 

 tainly been drastically reduced in the cattle ranges of Florida in recent 

 years; of that there is no doubt at all. But this needs further study .^ 



COMPETITION WITH OTHER SPECIES 



As far as is now known there is no comjDetition whatever in this 

 country with other herons. The diet of the cattle egret is definitely 

 different from most of the herons of the United States. The feeding 

 territory is, as a consequence, also different. Other than the tendency 

 of the snowy egret and little blue heron to feed occasionally along 

 with cattle (though never in the close proximity maintained by 

 Bubulcus) , there is no parallel. In rookeries there is no lack of nest- 

 ing sites. Cattle egret nests are placed within a few feet, or even 

 inches, of those of other herons, but this is perfectly normal in any 

 rookery. It is rather too soon to say anything about nesting success, 

 but all evidence indicates that it is as great as that of any other species 

 under similar conditions. The rather rapid increase of the cattle egret 

 in only a short time (in Florida) would seem to prove that the majority 

 of the eggs are hatched and most of the young are raised. 



CURRENT POPULATION 



The present population of the cattle egi'et is, of course, concentrated 

 in Florida. Even there it is rather definitely localized, mostly in the 

 area about Lake Okeechobee. Hitherto it has been difficult to be 

 anything like precise in estimating the numbers, but the recent work 

 of Grimes and Stoddard has added considerably to our knowledge. 



' Since the ab(we was written, I have seen the bird take flies off cattle. 



