70 THE WILSON BULLETIN— June, 1921 



strength, would flounder about until it could secure a foot- 

 hold on one of the many willow stumps which protruded 

 from the water. Whether or not these unlucky youngsters 

 ever succeed in regaining their nests, or a less precarious 

 position, or are identified and fed by their parents until 

 old enough to fly, I am unable to state. It is certain that 

 the very young or weak nestlings which fall overboard are 

 drowned, or are caught by the huge Cotton-mouthed Moc- 

 casins which infest the pond. These reptiles also destroy 

 numbers of eg'gs of the herons. 



Throughout the day numbers of these herons can be 

 seen winging their way from the pond to the marshes and 

 creeks at the north end of the island where they feed. They 

 also frequent the swamps in the vicinity of the rookery, 

 feeding upon frogs, crawfish and other animal matter which 

 abounds in such places. The communal instinct, so appar- 

 ent in their habit of breeding only in colonies, is much in 

 evidence when the birds are feeding, as at this time also 

 they are usually found in companies of from three to a 

 dozen individuals. 



These gatherings are nearly always made up entirelj' 

 of one species; only occasionally will mixed companies 

 be found. Sometimes a solitary individual will be seen 

 patrolling the mud flats and the banks of creeks, but in my 

 experience such occurrences are rare. They are not at all 

 shy, either while feeding or when in the vicinity of their 

 nests. On several occasions while I was wading in the 

 pond individuals of both species alighted on the willows 

 above my head, some even retuniing to their nests. In 

 connection with their behavior at the nests it may be 

 noted, however, that while the presence of several persons 

 in the pond only slightly disturbed the birds, the acts of 

 breaking a stick within their hearing instantly caused 

 every one to rise into the air simultaneously. 



My experience is that the eggs of the Louisiana Heron 

 cannot with certainty be distinguished from those of the 

 Little Blue species, or vice versa, when the two are nesting 



