THE EGRET 
139 
glided into a minor rookery which was only halfway to the 
sanctum sanctorum of the saintly-appearing bird in white. 
Egrets and Great Blue Herons were here nesting in peaceful 
neighborliness. The great ragged platforms of sticks that 
formed the homes of each species were scattered indiscrimi¬ 
nately upon adjoining trees over a couple of acres of space. 
They were high up on the outspreading boughs, and the 
EGRETS AND LITTLE BLUE HERONS 
great birds, broad of wing, flapped noisily therefrom at our 
approach and went squawking away. It was the twentieth 
of May, and both kinds had well-feathered young, which 
were visible as they stood up in the nests or climbed out on 
the neighboring branches. As we remained quiet to watch, 
the old birds began to pass silently overhead, and even to 
alight on the nests. The shower passed with a mere sprinkle 
and I had a brief season of sunshine for photography, but 
under great difficulties, in the thickness and shadow of the 
