THE OOLOGIST. 



283 



The islaud is known as Cnine Island 

 for the Herons are known only by that 

 name in the country round aljout and 

 the Cormorants are conmionly called 

 Black Loons. 



Shortly after the ice breaks up in the 

 spring, a Heron or a Cormorant may 

 here and there be seen in his flight to 

 the North, but it is not until the middle 

 of May that the nests here are finished 

 and the eggs deposited. 



The nests of the Herons are built en- 

 tirely of sticks and I should judge are 

 about two feet and a half in diameter 

 by three-fourths of a foot in thickness, 

 while those of the Cormorants are not 

 much more than half as large in diam- 

 eter l)Ut are much thicker in proportion 

 and made of smaller sticks. 



Both are quite Hat at the top. I have 

 heard that a complement of Heron's 

 eggs is commonly three or four. 



When this island first became inhab- 

 ited is beyond the memory of the oldest 

 settler, but the depth of the loam migiit 

 indicate that for a long period here has 

 been a nesting place. At any rate the 

 Itirds still come and still go and eacii 

 spring brings tiicm back seemingly un- 

 diminished ill iMimljers despite the fact 

 tiiat cottages arc, now yearly rising on 

 the shores. 



I reniemix r \<-ry clearly my first \isit 

 here a few yea is ago and tlu; delightful 

 surprise it gii\ e me. 



We had been tishing and la/ily lloat- 

 ing along most of the day when late in 

 the afternoon we turned a i)oint and 

 came in sight of seveial small islands 

 and the forest shores rising in low 

 blidTs beyond. 



It was a calu) clear summer after- 

 noon with not a ripple stirring the 

 waters and the shadows that were cast 

 into the lake \\ ere almost as lilelike as 

 the shores tli(;msei\es. 



From all dircelioiis came the Herons 

 lazilj' winging their way to one of the 

 islands and occasionally a swifter Cor- 

 morant skinjme«l along t'le surface of 

 the water. 



From the distance the clatter of the 

 combined efforts of the denizens of 

 Crane Island came clearly to our ears 

 for it was so calm that the creaking of 

 an oar might be heard half a mile away. 



In our wonderment and delight at 

 the beauty of the scene we could hardly 

 resist the temptation to row neai'er and 

 it was not long before we reached the 

 island. We frightened a Woodchuck 

 into his hole in our ascent up the stony 

 bank, some larger animal moved away 

 in the weeds at the top and in a minute 

 or two we had picked our way through 

 the brush and smaller trees that skirt 

 the edge and were standing underneath 

 the nests. ' 



The island was covered with mam- 

 moth elms whose spreading tops almost 

 intertwined with one another forming 

 a' sort of canopy overhead. 



Here would be a tree that would con- 

 tain a nest oi- two and there one that 

 would contain a dozen mostly situated 

 on the branches some distance out from 

 the trunk. 



Herons and Cormorants dwelt side 

 by side often nesting in the ditfereut 

 crotches of the saiiie limb. 



Never did two nmre different birds 

 dwell together in mote ucriVct harmony. 



The s(]uabbles of a bii-d seem to be 

 with his own kind only ami a race war 

 is out of the ([Ui'Stion. I fear it would 

 go hard with the Cormorants if they 

 did fight. 



Now the form of a Heron is seen 

 above the trees, a i)air of long legs is 

 (.Iropped and the bird alights with an 

 awkward balancing motion as if he e.\- 

 ])ected the limb to break olT with him. 



There is a continual clatter as if all 

 were trjdng to talk at once. I call it 

 clatter out of want of another name, 

 for it is a mi.igilng of the s<iuawks of 

 the Heron and thr) chattering noise of 

 the Cormorant. 



Occasionally the sounds die almost 

 out but a Heron gives vent to a harsh 

 cry and all immediately begin again. 



