of the bird for the mating season. Indeed, Nature 

 goes so far, in some cases, as to cause a special 

 moult to meet the exigencies of the wedding, — as if 

 fine feathers do make a fine bird. All this to meet 

 the fancy of the bride ! so, at least, the scientists tell 

 us. Whether or not her fancy is the cause, it is 

 a fact that among the birds it is the bridegroom 

 who is adorned for his wife, and sometimes the fine 

 feathers come by a special moult. 



Not far from my house is a nest of black-crowned 

 night herons, or "quawks." Preparatory to the mating 

 of the pair there started from the crown of the male 

 (and female, also, in this case,) two or three w^hite, 

 rounded plumes, which now hang eight inches in 

 length, waving gracefully to his shoulders. They are 

 the special glory of the wedding time ; but soon after 

 the nesting season is over they will drop out, not to 

 come again until he goes a-wooing Mrs. Ouawk once 

 more. In the white American egret, and in the snowy 

 egret, the plumes number about fifty, and occur upon 

 the back close to the tail. They are straight in 

 the American, recurved in the snowy, and make the 

 famous "aigrette " plumes of the milliner. The birds 

 are shot in their nuptial dress, and so great has been 



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