THE OOLOGIST. 



283 



The island is known as Crane Island 

 for the Herous are known only by that 

 name in the country round about and 

 the Cormorants are commonly called 

 Black Loons. 



Shortly after the ice breaks up in the 

 spring, a Heron or a Cormorant may 

 here and there be seen in his flight to 

 the North, but it is not uutil the middle 

 of May that the nests here are finished 

 and the eggs deposited. 



The nests of the Herons are built en- 

 tirely of sticks and I should judge are 

 about two feet and a half in diameter 

 by three-fourths of a foot in thickness, 

 while those of the Cormorants are not 

 much more than half as large in diam- 

 eter but are much thicker in proportion 

 and made of smaller sticks. 



Both are quite flat at the top. I have 

 heard that a complement of Heron's 

 eggs is commonly three or four. 



When this island first became inhab- 

 ited is beyond the memory of the oldest 

 settler, but the depth of the loam might 

 indicate that for a long period here has 

 been a nesting place. At any rate the 

 birds still come and still go and each 

 spring brings them back seemingly un- 

 diminished in numbers despite the fact 

 that cottages are now yearly rising on 

 the shores. 



I remember very clearly my first visit 

 here a few years ago and the delightful 

 surpi'ise it gave me, 



We had been fishing and lazily float- 

 ing along most of the day when late in 

 the afternoon Ave turned a point and 

 came in sight of seveial small islands 

 and the forest shores rising in low 

 bluffs beyond. 



It was a calm clear summer after- 

 uoon with not a ripple stirring the 

 waters and the shadows that were cast 

 into the lake were almost as lifelike as 

 the shores themselves. 



From all directions came the Herons 

 lazily winging their way to one of the 

 islands and occasionally a swifter Cor- 

 morant skimmed along the surface of 

 the water. 



From the distance the clatter of the 

 combined efforts of the denizens of 

 Crane Island came clearly to our ears 

 for it was so calm that the creaking of 

 an oar might be heard half a mile away. 



In our wonderment and delight at 

 the beauty of the scene we could hardly 

 resist the. temptation to row nearer and 

 it was not long before we reached the 

 island. We frightened a Woodchuck 

 into his hole in our ascent up the stony 

 bauk, some larger animal moved away 

 in the weeds at the top and in a minute 

 or two we had picked our way through 

 the brush and smaber trees that skirt 

 the edge and were standing underneath 

 the nests. 



The island was covered with mam- 

 moth elms whose spreading tops almost 

 intertwined with one another forming 

 a> sort of canopy overhead. 



Here would be a tree that would con- 

 tain a nest or two and there one that 

 would contain a dozen mostly situated 

 on the branches some distance out from 

 the trunk. 



Herons and Cormorants dwelt side 

 by side often nesting in the different 

 crotches of the same limb. 



Never did two more different birds 

 dwell together in more perfect harmony. 



The squabbles of a bird seem to be 

 with his own kind only and a race war 

 is out of the question. I fear it would 

 go hard with the Cormorants if they 

 did fight. 



Now the form of a Heron is seen 

 above the trees, a pair of long legs is 

 dropped and the bird alights with an 

 awkward balancing motion as if he ex- 

 pected the limb to break off with him. 



There is a continual clatter as if all 

 were trying to talk at once. I call it 

 clatter out of want of another name, 

 for it is a mi.igiing of the squawks of 

 the Heron and tha chattering noise of 

 the Cormorant. 



Occasionally the sounds die almost 

 out but a Heron gives vent to a harsh 

 cry and all immediately begin again. 



