BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES J 



the nest was so great that he did not feel equal to another 

 climb. 



The previous year some of the farmers in the neighborhood 

 had made a raid on the old and young herons because they 

 were destroying the trout fry planted by the State Fish Com- 

 mission in the water of a nearby stream. The birds, old and 

 young were shot down and thrown in a pile to decay. The 

 swamp was finally drained, the trees cut down and now no 

 Herons are found in this locality. 



The third heronry was located near Leins Creek west of 

 Chippewa, Ont. It was only a small affair, never more than 

 5 or 6 nests. Owing to the location chosen, being very close to 

 much traveled highways, it was finally abandoned by the 

 herons. 



At present the only heronry existing in this part of the 

 State is located about fifty miles northeast of Buffalo in Orleans 

 County, about half a mile south of the county line, in a swamp 

 lying partly in Orleans and partly in Genesee County. It is a 

 circular rise in the ground and surrounds an almost inaccessible 

 territory covered with water several feet deep in places, outside 

 of which high land, the swamp extends for many miles, its 

 outlet being Oak Orchard Creek. The territory occupied by 

 the birds is from one to four miles in diameter. The farmers 

 owning the lands adjoining have tried repeatedly to get State 

 aid to drain this swamp as the heavy expense which would be 

 incurred is too great to be born by them without outside help. 

 The muck in some places is 18 feet deep making this country 

 one of the finest fruit growing territories in the State, the apple 

 crop, according to reports, in Orleans County for last year, 

 approaching Five Million Dollars in value, but why the tax- 

 payers of other counties of the State should contribute to create 

 a bononza for Orleans County is hard to comprehend. It is 

 interesting to note that the pressing demand for barrels to ship 

 the apple crops, has become a factor in the destruction of the 

 timber used by the birds ia the present heronry. 



Twenty years ago this heronry was a quarter of a mile 

 northwest of where it is at present located. At that time the 

 colony consisted of about 150 pair of herons. The trees that 

 are occupied are destroyed in time by the birds and they are 

 then obliged to seek new localities for their nests. 



