20 



Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodio7ies. \^^n 



LJan. 



of a great bird colony. Thus in attempting to indicate something 

 of the life of the Albatross I have wholly failed to include the sub- 

 tile charm which reaches one through the soft tropical sky, the 

 salty breeze, the sparkling lights on waves, now green now pur- 

 plish, as they break on the coral reef ; and the wilder scenes in 

 the tossing surges that assail the eastern shore with booming roars 

 and clouds of flying spray ; and the darting, screaming multitude 

 of sea fowl gleaning their living prey from the tumult of waters, 

 or winging their certain way to the expectant nestlings. Every 

 sight and sound leaves a lasting impression, and yet, perhaps, it 

 will be the mystery of those myriads of sentient beings that will 

 linger when all else has been forgotten. 



NESTING HABITS OF THE HERODIONES IN 

 FLORIDA. 



BY A. C. BENT. 



Plates IX and X. 



During the past two seasons, April and May, 1902 and 1903, 

 I have had excellent opportunities to study the nesting habits of 

 all the species of this order known to nest within the limits of the 

 State of Florida, with the exception of the Glossy Ibises and the 

 Reddish Egret, the former being very rare in the regions visited, 

 and the latter being practically confined to the Florida Keys 

 where it is by no means common. The season of 1902 was spent 

 in Brevard County, at various points along the Indian River from 

 Titusville to Sebastian, and in the interior, among the marshes 

 and cypress swamps of the upper St. Johns River, this latter 

 locality proving most fruitful. The river at this point is spread 

 out over a marshy area about three miles wide with a narrow 

 open channel and a series of small lakes or ponds in the center. 

 Except in these open places the water is very shallow, from one 



