Aug. 1887.] 



AOT) OOLOGIST. 



129 



In the afternoon the soaring flocks descend 

 and procure their evening meal, and as night 

 approaulies return to tlie same roosts which 

 they quitted at day break. Such is the daily 

 round of duties of the Wood Ibis when on their 

 summer visit to us. 



In regard to the numbers in a flock, I should 

 say that from fifty to a hundred might be a fair 

 average. But I have seen flocks that must 

 have counted up into the thousands. One last 

 summer was over a mile long. 



Adult birds are very rare. It is many years 

 since I have obtained more than one specimen. 

 This one now before me shows pink feathers 

 under the wings, a color which I do not find 

 mentioned in any description of this bird, and 

 which I have never seen except in this speci- 

 men. The adults probably do not wander far 

 from their lireeding quarters. 



Of the edible qualities of the Wood Ibis I 

 can say nothing from experience. The ne- 

 groes esteem it a delicacy, but I am told that 

 they bury the body in the ground for a day 

 Ijefore cooking it, in order to draw out the 

 fishy taste. Be that as it may, the bodies from 

 my skinning table readily bring fifty cents 

 apiece. 



An Egg Lifter. 



BV WAl.TKK IIOXIE, FUOfiMOKK, S. C. 



The sun was low, the tide was low and my 

 spirits were low, as I jogged back to camp 

 along the beach with absolutely nothing in my 

 bag. But suddenly my spirits rose like a reg- 

 ular tidal wave, for there in the sand was an 

 Oyster-catcher's tracks. Not one or two little 

 casual foot marks, leading nowhere in jtarticu- 

 l;ir, but a rcguhir little jiathway and at the end 

 of it, just as 1 expected, two eggs. Now it was 

 so near sunset that 1 felt sure the birds would 

 soon be back; so with nmrder in my heart I 

 hid in a tussock of grass and cocked both bar- 

 rels. As soon as I was fairly hidden and bent 

 upon a special object it seemed as if all sorts of 

 nice birds came trooping about. Koyal Terns 

 and Laughing Gulls flew low over the beach I 

 had just left. The Sea-side Finches sang sweet- 

 ly in the grass all about ine; and a flock of 

 Piping Plovers bathed and played in a little 

 pool within easy shot. 



At last my Oystei'-catchers came along. 

 They came prancing up from the beach, and 

 when within sight of the nest stopped and held 

 a pow-wow. Possibly, I thought, they see me, 



so I squatted clear out of sight for a minute or 

 two and when I raised my head again they 

 were both at the nest. 



For an instant I hesitated but I might destroy 

 the eggs, and while I was waiting one flew ofl' 

 to a distance of about a hundred yards. After 

 looking carefully about for a few miimtes, he 

 gave a call and his mate rose from her nest and 

 joined him. They seemed to be making a lot 

 of fuss out there, kicking up the sand, s(juat- 

 ting down and cackling like mad. In a few 

 minutes though they seemed to get over this 

 excitement and one bird came flying back and 

 settled on the eggs. Now she began to act 

 strangely, wiggling round and squatting down 

 again and I began to think she was going to 

 lay another egg, when oft" she went and joined 

 her mate, who welcomed her comiiig with the 

 most extravagant cries and gestures. But she 

 sat down (^uite still and denmre. I was about 

 to rise and look for my third egg when I saw 

 her coming back. Again she went through the 

 same operation and her second welcome was if 

 possible more exuberent than the first. Then 

 all was quiet; one bird sat on the sand and the 

 other stood silently by her, and though I wait- 

 ed some time longer they showed no sign of 

 returning again to their eggs and I could (uily 

 conclude that they had seen me watching them 

 and would not come back until I went away. 

 So I arose from my uncomfortable position and 

 went to pick up the eggs, when to my surprise 

 the little hollow in the sand was empty. While 

 I was watching the curious antics of the female 

 she had lifted the eggs between her legs and 

 carried them oft". So without giving time for 

 her to repeat the ottence I hurried to her new 

 quarters and secured them sui'cessfully. 



On preparing the specimens they proved to 

 be slightly incubated and were no doubt a full 

 set. The Oyster-catcher seems to deposit two 

 as (tften as three ''ggf"; at least that is my cx- 

 I>erience in this locality. 



Nesting of the Great Blue Heron. 



BY HAKKY K. TAYLOR, ALAMEDA, CAL 



Often while watching a stately Great Blue 

 Heron (Ardea herodins), flapping its course over 

 one of the salt marshes adjacent to San Fran- 

 cisco Bay, I have wondered in what part of 

 Santa Clara Valley their nesting-place was sit- 

 uated. On hearing this year, through a friend, 

 that there were a lot of "big Blue Cranes" nest- 

 ing within ten miles of San Jose, I set out 



