20 ALONG THE FLORIDA REEF. 



turn, they came upon a number of white cranes 

 and gannets. The cranes rose quickly, but Tom, 

 the sportsman, who usually had his gun ready, 

 brought one down, very neatly, on the wing. 

 The stupid gannets had not moved even yet, 

 and Tom declared that they well deserved the 

 name of "boobies." The boys pulled out and 

 picked up the body of the crane. It was a 

 beautiful white bird, with a yellow patch on its 

 breast. 



" It is a heron," said the doctor ; " and this 

 yellow spot on its breast is supposed by some 

 observers to be capable of giving out a bright 

 phosphorescence in the dark." 



" Don't shoot ! " said Harry, as Tom took aim 

 at the gannets, who were still regarding their 

 strange visitors in stupid amazement. " Let me 

 start them." 



Taking a large piece of coral which he had 

 picked up on the beach, he threw it toward the 

 birds. The gannets rose slowly, as the coral 

 splashed up the water, but, to the great astonish- 

 ment of the boys, the coral, instead of sinking, 

 floated lightly on the water like a piece of wood. 



