The Black-necked Stilt 



355 



small pond or island mud-flat seemed to have a few pairs wading around 

 with stately tread until the intruder was sighted, when their infernal 

 racket began." 



In May, 1916, I found the Stilts on the Louisiana marshes between 

 Avery Island and the Gulf of Mexico. Anticipating a visit to this terri- 

 tory I had expressed a hope to my friend and prospective host, Mr. E. A. 

 Mcllhenny, that he would pilot me to the nesting-grounds of these curious 

 and ridiculously long-legged birds. Upon arriving there I was assured 

 that this wish would be granted, as he had instructed one of the guards 

 on the Ward Mcllhenny Wild Life Reservation to begin three days before 

 to search for a nest with eggs. Two days later the yacht bearing us 

 passed up a deep canal through the marsh to a region where the 









A LOUISIANA MARSH A BREEDING HAUNT OF STILTS 



grass was short, and shallow fresh-water ponds were numerous. Here 

 Stilts were in evidence, sometimes six or eight birds at once. 



From the canal-bank the slender yellow face of the bird-warden 

 beamed a welcome. He announced that he had found one nest, and that 

 doubtless others were in the neighborhood. I have seldom experienced 

 a harder task than the half-mile walk I took with the guard to see this 

 nest. The whole region had until recently been submerged, and nearly 

 (.very step was a plunge into mud knee-deep. When the long expected 

 spot was reached the guide stooped down and parting a bunch of tall 

 marsh-grass proudly pointed to an object beneath him. Slowly and 

 sadly I picked it up. It was an egg of the Clapper Rail and rotten. 



This newly employed guard had not yet become familiar with 

 the Stilt's manner of nest-building. No doubt the Stilts had nests in 



