268 Bent, N'estltig- flabits of Florida Ilerodiones. [A^iril 



and can cling on quite tenaciously with their big awkward feet 

 and bills. But they often pay a severe penalty for their precocity 

 by falling and becoming entangled. Their parents seem unable 

 to help them in such predicaments, as we saw a number of their 

 dead bodies hanging by one foot from the ledges of the nests. 



Florida caerulea. Little Blue Heron. 



Next in abundance to the Louisiana Heron comes the Little 

 Blue, with which it is intimately associated and practically identical 

 in distribution. Both species have escaped destruction by the 

 plume hunters, for the same reason, the lack of marketable 

 plumes, and they are very much alike in general habits. They 

 fish in the shallow waters along the shores of the Indian River 

 and in most of the small pond holes in the interior. They are 

 very active while fishing, walking about constantly but standing 

 erect ' occasionally and darting straight down upon their prey. 

 Birds in the blue phase predominated, but we saw a great many 

 in the white phase even in the breeding rookeries. 



On the upper St. Johns we found them breeding commonly on 

 the willow islands with the Louisiana Herons, but never in 

 rookeries by themselves. So far as we could judge, from what 

 few nests we were able to identify and by watching them rise from 

 their nests as we approached the rookeries, the Little Blues 

 always nested in the smaller willows on the outer edges of the 

 islands. The nests were usually placed very low down, mostly 

 from 2 to 4 feet from the ground, in small trees or bushes or on 

 the lower branches. Their nests and eggs were practically indis- 

 tinguishable from those of the other small Herons and positive 

 identification was difficult, as they were very shy about alighting 

 on their nests, though tame enough in other respects. 



In Monroe County we saw Little Blue Herons feeding in all the 

 shallow estuaries and lakes and found them breeding in the big 

 rookeries with other species. Their nests here also were confined 

 to the outskirts of the rookeries where they were bunched 

 together in compact groups. We did not find them breeding on 

 any of the keys. 



There is little danger, under the protection now afforded them. 



