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AMERICAN FORESTRY 



tween the shoulders and extending beyond the tail. 

 Forty or fifty years ago both species were common 

 all through the south and especially in Florida but today 

 they are the rarest of the herons. Were it not for the 

 bird reservations and, the non-sale of plumage laws, it 



ONE OF THE RAREST OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS— THE CRY 

 LEAST BITTERN 



Many ornithologists believe it to be a color phase of the common least 

 Bittern. Photograph of a wounded bird. 



is probable that they would now be practically extinct. 

 Twenty years ago every woman of fashion wore 

 "aigrettes" in her hair or on her bonnet. Today, if she 

 does so she will be arrested as it is against the law to 

 have them in one's possession. Doubtless they will now 

 go "out-of -style" though there are still a few foolish 

 individuals who cling to their once valuable plumes in 

 the hope that the laws will be repealed and that they 

 will once more come into fashion; and this in spite of 

 the fact that they know that each set of plumes means 

 the death of a breeding bird and the starving of a nest 

 full of young. 



There is another white heron found in southern Florida 

 called the great white heron. It is about the sizeof thegreat 

 blue heron and has no plumes. There seems likewise to be 

 an intermediate form between the Florida great blue or 



Ward's heron, as it is called, and the great white heron. 

 It resembles the Ward's heron but has a white head and 

 neck. It has been called Wuerdeman's heron but its 

 true status is not yet known. 



In some parts of the country the herons are incorrectly 

 called cranes, which, indeed, they resemble, the differ- 

 ences between them being more of anatomy than gen- 

 eral appearance. In flight the herons always carry their 

 heads back on their shoulders while the cranes carry 



PRESENT BAYONETS 

 A Least Bittern defending its nest when it knows it has been discovered. 



their necks fully extended. The herons bills are more 

 or less angled while the cranes are rounded and the 

 herons have all four toes well developed and on the same 

 level while the cranes have the hind toe small and 

 elevated. Cranes, moreover, are now rare in all parts of 

 the country and have been practically exterminated 

 in the east. 



/CARRIER pigeons will assist in protecting the for- 

 ^ ests of Oregon and Washington from fire, if ex- 

 periments inaugurated in this district by Forest Examiner 

 W. J. Sproat prove successful. Mr. Sproat has had 

 some experience with the use of pigeons and believes 

 they will be a valuable means of communication in 

 emergencies and for carrying reports of fire and other 



messages. The matter has aroused interest in the district 

 office, and the birds will be tried out on several of the 

 forests during the coming fire season. Mr. Sproat will 

 take back to Bend with him five pairs of the birds for 

 use on the Deschutes. Supervisor Sietz also plans to 

 try them out on the Cascade. 



