Notes on the Habits of the Breeding Water Birds 27 



molested are confined to a fresh water pond on Ossabaw 

 island, or at least apparently so, as I am not aware that 

 it is known to nest at any other locality in Chatham eonnty. 

 The nnmber of pairs which were breeding' in this pond 

 was not accurately determined during my yisit to Ossabaw 

 island in May, l!)!."). I saw ten or a dozen birds, and allow- 

 ing for those which were temporarily absent from tlie 

 rookery, I believe the number of pairs is vevy close to the 

 former figure. The nests were built in willows, usually at 

 a point where several stout limbs converged, and were 

 bulky platforms of twigs loosely laid together. They were 

 placed at heights ranging from two to ten feet above the 

 surface of the Avater. All of the nests which I examined 

 contained three eggs and the sets which were collected 

 were rd>out six days incubated. These herons were very 

 shy, leaving their nests before I had approached to within 

 two hundred feet of them, and would not return to them so 

 long as anj'one remained in the pond. However, no dif- 

 ficulty was experienced in determining which nests be- 

 longed to this species, as its eggs are unmistakable, being 

 considerably larger than those of any other heron nesting 

 in this pond. They are bluish green in color and measure 

 2.25x1.50. 



lufonnation secured from T. 1). Perry, whose collect- 

 ing activities extend over a period of nearly forty years, 

 tends to convince me that this species never nested in this 

 section in large colonies such as fonnerly occurred in 

 Florida and along the (Inlf coast. The absence of fresh 

 water reservoirs, to Avhich it was almost exclusively con- 

 fined during the breeding season, evidently was the main 

 cause of its comparative scarcity. Its numbers have been 

 much reduced in recent years, and it is now threatened 

 with extinction. Because of the rarit}^ of this species an<l 

 the next it has not been possible for me to determine the 

 times of their arrivrd and dei)arture. However, they are 

 summer residents only. 



Egretta candidissima candidissiinia — Snowy Egret. 



Between eight and twelve pairs of these lovely birds 



