224 



AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



dreds and hundreds of frogs leap, with a splash into the water, as we 

 make our way about. Strangely, although such an abundance of food 

 is at their very door, the old birds do not seem to do their hunting for 

 food for the little ones here, but make a long flight to another larger 

 pond about a mile 

 away. Perhaps after 

 all they are wiser than 

 we give them credit 

 for being, and are re- 

 serving this supply 

 for the young to catch 

 themselves when they 

 have left the nest. 

 Nearly every tree in 

 this heronry had it's 

 nest, and some had 

 two or three. They 

 were nearly all plac- 

 ed well up towards 

 the top. Although 

 this location had not 

 been used by the her- 

 ons before, the trees 

 and branches were 

 becoming well coat- 

 ed and the odor from 

 decaying matter was 

 quite apparent. For 

 ascending, a tree was 

 selected, that had but 

 one nest in it and was 

 considerably cleaner 

 than the majority; 

 nevertheless it was 

 very difficult to climb, 



Photo from life by A. J. Meyer. 



NIGHT HERON LEAVING TREE. 



especially if one had any regard for his clothing. The tree was quite 

 large; in fact, one of the tallest in the grove, and when the nest was 

 reached it was seen that I was in a position to see to the best advan- 

 tage all that went on in the colony. 



The nest above me contained one young bird and one eg^. The nest 

 was so large and built in such a frail manner that I could not get by to 

 climb'above it without danger of injuring its contents. In the nearest 



