THE PURPLE HERON. 41 



I have referred to the larger young as being in the under- 

 growth, and the fact is that as soon as danger threatened 

 all those which were old enough immediately scrambled out 

 of their nests and, partly chmbing, partly falling, reached 

 the ground. Once down they made off as fast as their 

 legs and the tangled stems would permit ; not that 

 this always signified a great pace, for in places the growth 

 was so rank that they were brought to a standstill before 

 they had gone many yards. Where the nests were most 

 numerous we found distinct and well-worn runs through 

 the undergrowth, radiating in every direction, often 

 completely arched over and running tunnel-like from 

 bush to bush. Along these highways the birds could 

 travel fast, and in less time than it takes to describe four 

 or five nests were emptied and the young had vanished. 



These hurried descents were the cause of many a fall, 

 the heavy fleshy youngsters reaching the ground with an 

 audible thud, but with apparently no other effect than 

 to quicken their pace when they regained their feet. 

 Once, however, a fall proved more serious, the young one 

 dropping between two converging stems and becoming 

 so firmly wedged as to be unable to get free. The old 

 birds took not the shghtest notice on their return, and 

 the chick must inevitably have died of starvation had we 

 not extricated it before leaving. In another bush a 

 little withered carcase hanging from a fork told of a 

 similar accident to a less fortunate chick. 



After a time the " concert " subsided, and many of the 

 young began to return to their nests. It was one of the 

 strangest and most fascinating sights I have ever seen 

 in bird-life to watch these quaint forms stealing out of the 

 undergrowth and along the alleyways through the vegeta- 

 tion. The whole swamp seemed suddenly alive with them. 

 Whichever way one looked, there through the tangled 

 reeds and sallows, could be made out a ruddy form 

 creeping slowly along, and on listening, from every side, 

 both near at hand and far away, came the sound of 



