172 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



Botli of these egrets were formerly very abundant in the southern states 

 r,nd occurred regularh^ north to Long Island and Oregon on the coast and to 

 Illinois in the interior. The present range of the little egret is very uncer- 

 tain; its center of existence is undoubtedly in Florida and it is doubtful if 

 half a dozen birds can be found in any other of the eastern states. The 

 large egret is still found from North Carolina to Florida in isolated heronries. 

 As late as 189;) there were many heronries in Florida containing thousands 

 of both kinds of egrets, while now, especially in the case of the smaller 

 bird, you will find only isolated pairs nesting with flocks of other kinds of 

 herons. The nesting places of herons are always known as heronries; they 

 often cover over extensive areas and are usually in swamps where none but 

 birds, reptiles and insects can dwell. The larger white egrets often nest in 

 the tops of quite tall trees, but the small ones were usually found in bushes 

 or mangroi^es near the ground. Their nests are slight platforms of sticks, 

 lined with smaller twigs ; on these from three to five eggs are laid. The eggs 

 are j^ale greenish blue, those of the American Egret averaging 2.30 x 1.50 

 inches, while those of the Snowy Heron measure about 1.80 x 1.20. Heron- 

 ries are always interesting but filthy places ; screams, croaks, squawks 

 deafen you on the one hand while you feast your eyes on the beautiful birds 

 sailing about or standing on the tops of the trees and the ungainly young 

 standing on the edges of their homes, their long, skinny toes tightly grasping 

 the twigs, for well they know if they once lose their hold and fall to the 

 ground, their fate is sealed. 



As these birds were once as abundant as Louisiana and Little Blue Herons, 

 both of which can now be found in great numbers in their range, many won- 

 der where they have gone to. Sacrificed for avarice and vanity. Many of 

 the game birds have become scarce through the agency of man, but these 

 plumage bearing herons, while killed by men, were destroyed because women 

 made the market for their plumes. Their extermination is a disgrace to the 

 human race. In spite of all the legislation that has been enacted, and 

 knowledge that has been disseminated by the Audubon Societies, these 

 plumes, under the names of "aigrettes" or "ospreys", are now being sold by 

 nearly all milliners. A few days ago a lady told me she had always supposed 

 that the plumes were secured from a living bird, the same as plumes from an 

 ostrich, and that the bird was not injured. These herons bear these plumes 

 only in the nesting season, and in order to get them the birds are shot in the 

 heronries, the skin on the back with the plumes attached, is pulled off and 

 the rest of the carcass is thrown away. Every two birds killed means the 

 death by starvation of at least four young in the nest; at other times they 

 are very shy and difficult to approach. 



