THE LITTLE EGRETS. 79 



Ing-place of any species of Heron. " In the forest," he says, 

 " the water was about four feet deep ; but on its outskirts it 

 rose as high as the tops of the pollard-willows, which presented 

 a dense mass of boughs through which it was impossible to 

 force the boat. We succeeded, however, in entering it from 

 behind, and by dint of pushing and squeezing, and a liberal 

 use of the axe, we reached the outskirts of the colony, and 

 having put on our wading-trousers proceeded to investigate it. 

 The water was so deep that it was impossible for us to stoop, 

 and it was with great difficulty that we selected places where 

 the branches allowed us to squeeze through them. Before we 

 reached the nests we could hear birds getting up with great 

 flutter of wings, and our invasion of the colony was heralded 

 by incessant cries. The trees were full of nests, some of 

 them so near the water that we could see the eggs without 

 climbing. Few nests were more than from ten to twelve feet 

 above the surface of the water, and some trees contained as 

 many as ten nests with eggs belonging to three species : the 

 Night-Heron, the Little Egret, and the Squacco Heron, those 

 of the Little Egret being the most numerous." 



Lord Lilford writes : — '' In habits it is by far the most con- 

 fiding and fearless of man of any of the non-skulking Ardeidce 

 of my acquaintance. I have frequently approached on horse- 

 back or in a boat, without any sort of concealment, to within 

 a few yards of a party of these Egrets, who took very little 

 notice of us. It is probable, however, that the poor birds, or 

 those that may be left of them, have learned that feminine 

 fashion has cast its eye upon them for personal decoration, and 

 that the lust of gain by this cruel folly has rendered the animal 

 Man, as a rule, a very dangerous neighbour. 



" The Little Egret spends its days in fishing, frogging, and 

 insect-catching, with intervals for repose and digestion, on a 

 bough, a post, or the back of some ruminant ; this latter site, 

 however, is, in my experience, much less frequented by this 

 bird than by the Buff-backed Egret. I find the Little Egret 

 somewhat delicate in confinement, but very tame and careless 

 of observation. It is spiteful in disposition." 



Nest. — The bird, according to Lord Lilford, forms an artless 

 nest of a few sticks and broken reeds, placed in low trees or 



