pale brown to chocolate eggs are laid, the marsh wren builds various extra 
dummy nests which, unless used as sleeping quarters for the male, seam of 
uo use except to keep that tireless féllow busy in their construction. The 
food of marsh wrens seems to be a fair sample of the insects and other small 
orgenisms of their highly aquatic environment. 
BIRDS: LeSS CHARACTERISTIC SPECIES 
Most of the common birds of the eastern United States may occasional- 
ly be seen in or about salt marshes. The number to be treated in this rela- 
tively brief account must be restricted, however, to the most frequent or: 
conspicuous visitors, 
Herons and Berets : 
All our herons, for instance, frequent salt marshes more or less, 
and besides the bittern, previously described among the more characteris- 
tic birds, the great blue heron, little blue heron, green heron, Louisiana 
heron, and night heron and the egrets moy from time to time come to notice. 
All herons fly with the neck drawn back and the legs extended behind, The 
great blue heron may occur in the salt marshes at all seasons. It stands 
about 3h feet high, and when in the air flaps its large wings slowly with 
an undulatory motion that is characteristic, The great blue heron is an 
expert spearer of fish, but on the whole takes more of the noncommercial 
than of the commercial species, if for no other reason than that the former 
are more common. A good many great blue herons are killed under permit 
about fish hatcheries and rearing ponds, but it would be better, where at 
ell feasible, to screen the ponds. Shooting these herons at the breeding 
colonies is indefensible, It is moreover illegal, as the birds are pro- 
tected by Federal law, 
The little blue heron is about half the size of the great blue heron, 
and wnen adult chiefly dark slate blue, while the larger bird is grayish 
bluewWMoun= of the Wittle bine heron, which wander north late in summer, 
are often white, but intermediate, spotted forms also occur. The dark bill 
anc the smaller size of the white phase distinguish it from the large egret, 
and the greenish legs and daric feet from the small egret. 
te, with a yellow bill, and the 
small egret with yellow feet, points thet must oe seen to insure positive 
identification. ‘The former is ebout two-thirds, the latter about one-third 
the size of the great blue heron. Late in summer the little blue heron may 
be seen almost anywhere along the coast, but in winter and early summer as 
a rule only from North Carolina southward. The large egret breeds from New 
Jersey south, wanders exvensively in summer and early fall, going north even 
into Canada, and retives in winter to the Gulf coast and southward. ‘The 
small egret also formerly bred as far north as New Jersey, but now nests 
from North Carolina southward. Like the other species, it wanders in summer 
and about to the same extent; then it returns to the breeding range for 
winter quarters, 
The egrets are whi the large egret w 
va) S 
a 
The egrets formerly were especially persecuted for their plumes, or 
aigrettes, a practice that has not yet been entirely suppressed. It has 
sO= 
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