A Colony of Herons 



of "night" heron. The long distance they 

 thus travel daily to the coast is evidently a mat- 

 ter of small moment for their great wings. 

 Their preference is strongly for the south shore, 

 although the distance to the north shore is only 

 six miles, which probably does not afford so 

 plentiful a supply of food. Besides fish and 

 frogs they have side dishes of shrimps, tadpoles, 

 water lizards, Crustacea, etc. 



As the same nest occasionally contains fresh 

 and partly incubated eggs, as well as chicks fully 

 hatched, it looks as though the proprietors 

 sometimes sublet a corner in the room, or as if 

 some of the herons had the effrontery to camp 

 down in their neighbors' home without an in- 

 vitation, as relatives will sometimes do. This 

 so mixes up the domestic arrangements, that it 

 is no wonder that serious misunderstandings 

 arise between families, when they do not hesitate 

 to express their minds with utmost freedom. 

 For a few minutes perfect quiet will reign 

 throughout the swamp, when some such private 

 squabble in a single nest will start a wave of 

 irascibility that spreads like vocal wildfire 

 throughout the whole camp. 



There is another similar community of herons 

 at the eastern end of Long Island, and numer- 

 245 



