Jan., 1922 THE REDDISH EGRETS OF CAMERON COUNTY, TEXAS g 
Island. He told me that on June 6 of the previous year he had visited it in com- 
pany with Mr. T. Gilbert Pearson, with the idea of making the island a Federal 
Game Reserve, and that on that date all the species nesting there had practically 
finished breeding. This indicated that the 1921 season was a late one. Mr. 
Camp had not seen the Egrets during the beginning of the nesting season so 
he agreed to revisit the Island with me later in the month. Mr..A. J. Kirn came 
down from Oklahoma to join me and the three of us made the next trip, whieh 
was on May 26 and 27. | 
We arrived late in the afternoon, too late to make any systematic investi- 
gations, but a short walk into the brush showed me that a great change had 
taken place since the 10th, for now nesting was in full swing and nearly every 
nest contained eggs. 
Fig. 6. A PAIR OF REDDISH EGRETS IN FULL 
BREEDING PLUMAGE. 'THE MALE, BIRD TO 
RIGHT, HAS JUST FINISHED THE NUPTIAL 
DISPLAY. 
When the birds began to leave the island for their nightly fishing we made 
a count every few minutes of the number of Egrets passing during one minute. 
The start and finish of the flight was of course taken. The figures we got were 
as follows: 
Flight began at 7:30; 7:40 to 7:41 we counted 63; 7:45 to 7:46 we counted 
84; 7:48 to 7:49 we counted 10; 7:49 to 7:50 we counted 49; 7:55 to 7:56 we 
counted 39; 8:00, too dark to count, flight over. 
By interpolating for minutes not counted these figures show that 1500 birds 
passed over us. All of these birds, Egrets only, were assumed to be males, the 
females remaining on the nests in probably equal numbers. Doubtless many 
males did not leave the island with the main flight and also others left from 
