THE MARSHES OF MALHEUR 107 



where the plume-hunter found immense rooker- 

 ies. Bird-lovers the world over are watching these 

 remnants with intense concern. Nowhere were 

 the herons as nearly wiped out, it appears, as in 

 Oregon ; and nowhere will their escape and ulti- 

 mate restoration seem more of a miracle. 



But desert and marsh and even my little wood- 

 lot are full of miracles. The ways of Nature are 

 not past finding out ; she does not move so mys- 

 teriously as amazingly, her wonders to perform. 

 She could not restore the American egret without 

 a pair to work with. She never could use crows 

 for the purpose. But given the pair of birds, 

 then the loaves and fishes become snowy, winged 

 things, gleaming above the marsh by thousands, 

 and decked in bridal dress of surpassingly lovely 

 plumes. 



While here on Malheur I witnessed a sight 

 among the grebes, that gave me further reason 

 for my faith in the resources of Nature, open as 

 the happening may be to a contrary interpreta- 

 tion. 



On the day of our arrival at the town of 

 Burns the wardens of Malheur met us with the re- 

 port of a new grebe colony (these birds had also 



