THE YOUNG OOLOGIST. 



55 



A Southern Louisiana Blue Heron 

 Rookery. 



BY E. C. W. 



Our party of three started out on a 

 warm day in early Jnne, to visit the heron 

 roolcery about four miles distant. The hot 

 nearly vertical sun burned fiercely on us, 

 and the heat was allayed only now and 

 then, when a group of comulii drifted 

 lazily overhead and hid the disk of the re- 

 fulgent orb. Pursuing our path over the 

 sinuous country road, bordered on each 

 side by tall luxuriantly clad trees, from 

 the branches of which pendant gray 

 streamers of Spanish moss swayed in every 

 ripple of the breeze ; we were charmed 

 with the many colored birds that disported 

 themselves among the green foliage, and 

 the welkin rang with the multitudinous 

 and melodious chorus of the feathered 

 denizens. After travelling about three 

 miles, we were apprised of the where- 

 abouts of the herons, by the loud shrieks 

 and cries of the old and young birds, that 

 issued from the forest ; entering, we soon 

 reached a cane break, which, after cutting 

 our way through, led us to the border of a 

 swamp. We then waded quarter of a 

 mile in water (as no boat was procurable) ; 

 and at last found ourselves in the breeding 

 place of the herons, which was an opening 

 in the swamp forest, and in which no other 

 trees except button bushes grew, although 

 there were plenty of rushes and lillies. 

 The button bushes in this swamp are dis- 

 posed in three separate groups or clumps ; 

 each group or clump covers a superficial 

 area of about an acre. The branches of 

 these trees are thickly interlaced, and were 

 crowded with nests ; a few of them con 

 tained eggs, but the greatest part contained 

 young ones, which were lustily clamoring 

 for their parents, who, terrified at our 

 approach, flew overhead in clouds, uttering 

 loud cries, and the commingled voices of 

 old and young produced a deafening din, 

 that reverberated through the forest. The 

 nests were composed of sticks and twigs, 

 thrown promiscuously together without 

 definite shape or order; indeed, so loosely 



were these nests constructed, that many of 

 the eggs had fallen out and were floating 

 on the surface of the water or had sunk to 

 the bottom. Each complete nest contained 

 four or five eggs or herons, the former are 

 the size of a small hen egg, and of a 

 greenish blue color, similar to the sky 

 when clear near the horizon, and are 

 diversified with calcareous white spots. 

 The young are pure white, the tips of the 

 wings excepted, are black ; when they 

 reach their full growth and moult, their 

 plumage changes, and is superseded by 

 that of a bluish color, with an occipital 

 crest ^which they erect and depress at 

 pleasure. The negroes and some whites 

 enter the swamp where the herons and 

 egrets breed, and gather the young by the 

 bagful ; they consider them an excellent 

 edible. I procured a few young for pets, 

 after which we proceeded homeward. 



As an Advertising Medium, does the 

 Young Oologist Pay its Patrons ? 



Petaluma, Cal., July 18, 1884. 

 Frank H. Lattin, 



Dear Sir. — Please discontinue my ex- 

 change notice in your paper ; I have recei- 

 ved over 100 {one hundred) letters, fivm 

 every State in the Union, and even from 

 England, Canada, Mexico, &g., and long- 

 ago ran short of eggs. 



Yours truly, 



Geo. C. Codding. 



Collectors are commencing to realize the 

 value of the columns of the Young Oolo- 

 GiST as an advertising medium. The 

 above notice which Mr. C. refers to, cost 

 cost him 15cts. and he received from this 

 notice as many answers as we received 

 from a four line notice, costing us over 

 $11. — in the Youths Companion. Our 

 present exchange notice rates will hold good 

 until Sep. 1st, only. At that date the rates 

 will be increased. Send in your notices at 

 once, if you do not receive answers from 

 them, we will cheerfully refund your 

 money. 



