3o8 Bird - Lore 



through the weeds underfoot, only one in the white phase was found, and only 

 one white adult bird discovered, the latter lying dead on the ground by its nest. 



Bird Island, in the northern part of Laguna de la Madre, some distance 

 below Corpus Christi, yielded two nests of the Reddish Egret, and six birds 

 were seen. Both nests were on the ground. 



In Brownsville I was informed by R. D. Camp that on Green Island, lying 

 in the Laguna, 32 miles north of Point Isabel, he had, the autumn before, ob- 

 served the remains of a number of dead young Herons scattered about under 

 the bushes, which he thought indicated that Herons had been breeding there. 



On June 3, 1920, in company with Mr. Camp and George C. Shupee, of 

 San Antonio, a visit was made to this spot. The island is several acres in 

 extent and the higher portions are very densely covered with mesquite, prickly 

 pear cactus, maguey, and Spanish bayonet. It proved to be the breeding ground 

 of a very large colony of Herons. This certainly was the home of 5,000 water 

 birds — possibly twice that many. The most numerous species was the Reddish 

 Egret. Here thirteen adult birds in the white phase of plumage were counted, 

 most of which were observed as the birds came in the evening. 



Mr. Camp, as a representative of this Association, guarded the Green Island 

 Heronry throughout the breeding season of 1922. He estimated the number 

 of Reddish Egret nests this year to be about 1,800. 



One very characteristic note of the Reddish Egret which I noticed, both 

 at the rookeries and on the feeding grounds, is a bugle-like cry, decidedly 

 more musical in its nature than the ordinary Heron squawk. It is to be hoped 

 that this large, handsome bird may not only continue to be numerous on the 

 southern coast of Texas, but that through protection and good fortune its 

 numbers may increase so that they may again adorn the coastline of our entire 

 southern country. 



LITTLE BLUE HERON (Florida caerulea caerulea) 



Description. — There are three distinct phases of plumage in the Little 

 Blue Heron, and confusion in the matter of identification, therefore, is frequent. 



Dark Phase (Plate I, No. 5). — What is supposed to be the fully adult plum- 

 age in all instances is represented by the bird whose head and neck are maroon- 

 chestnut, while all the rest of the plumage is dark bluish slate-color. 



White Phase (Plate I, No. 3). — All Little Blue Herons while young are 

 covered with white down. When the feathers come, the plumage is pure 

 white with the exception of the tips of the long wing-feathers (primaries) 

 which are washed in very dark blue. The skin of the legs and feet is greenish 

 yellow. The birds remain in this plumage for two years, although it has been 

 suggested that some individuals may continue in the white phase throughout 

 life. The writer has often found white Little Blue Herons sitting on eggs or 

 caring for their young. One should not, however, regard this as evidence that 

 the birds are more than two years of age, as some other species are known to 



