146 FLORIDA BIRD-LIFE 



the saw-grass, in the Everglades at the north, narrowly 

 escaped being bitten by a rattlesnake, which he shot with 

 his rifle. Later, he stated that at the time he was a mile and 

 a half across the wind from the rookery. The report of his 

 gun was barely noticeable but every White Egret in the 

 rookery sprang into the air as though it had been fired at 

 and flew rapidly from the rookery. Several similar instan- 

 ces of the remarkable development of this bird's fear of man 

 and his ways were observed, and herein lies its only hope of 

 safety. As a plumer was reported to have put it, the birds 

 are now so excessively shy that " you can't even set in a 

 ruke-ry without every bird a-leavin ' it. " 



The exquisite Snowy Egrets, virtually the last of their 

 line in Florida, seemed less wary than the American Egrets, 

 as might be predicted perhaps from their smaller size, a fact 

 which may account for their more rapid decrease. 



As the sunlight failed and the polished mangrove leaves 

 passed into cold shadow, birds began to return to the rook- 

 ery for the night. Flock after flock of White Ibises, with 

 bright red feet and faces, came to roost in favorite trees ; 

 with much talking the Louisiana Herons greeted birds that 

 had been absent during the day ; Turkey Vultures perched 

 in rows on the branches of a dead tree, and, suddenly, with 

 a woof-woof-woof of wings six Spoonbills lit up my fore- 

 ground. One of them perched within fifteen feet of me. 

 Other Spoonbills flew overhead, evidently reconnoitering, 

 and it was when seen against the intense blue of the zenith 

 that their peach-blossom color appeared to take its deepest 

 hue. Their flock-formation was the diagonal, single file of 

 White Ibis but, unlike those birds, they maintained a steady 

 flapping, uninterrupted by short sails. 



As it grew darker, the birds became more numerous, 

 pouring into the rookery from every side, and as they set- 

 tled for the night, disputing the possession of some perch 

 with their neighbors, there arose a veritable babel of voices. 

 The Louisianas added new chucks and squawks to the quit- 



