AMERICAN EGRETS ON ROWLEY MARSHES. 
For some weeks during July and August 1921, rumors, 
and more or less reliable reports, were current, of “great 
white birds, resembling cranes or herons,” being seen on 
the Rowley Marshes. These persisted to such an extent 
that a group of club members went, on August 22, to Row- 
ley to settle if possible the identity of the birds. It was 
my good fortune to be one of this quintet, the others being 
Dr. Walter G. Fanning, Albert B. Fowler, Lawrence W. 
Jenkins and Rodman A. Nichols. 
Report had located the birds as frequenting the vicinity 
of the Daland Camp on the Rowley Marshes, about half 
a mile down river from the station. Embarking an a 
boat, we made the trip and had hardly reached the camp 
when, in looking for signs of our quarry we discerned 
through our binoculars, perhaps half a mile to the east¬ 
ward, four large, white birds. As we were watching 
them, one raised its wings which, at the time, looked to 
me to be tipped with black. This may have been (and 
probably was) occasioned by shadows. Just at that 
moment, one of our party discovered a fifth bird, directly 
across the river from us and perhaps two hundred yards 
distant. This bird was unquestionably pure white and 
we had a splendid view of it. Rumor had said that there 
were five of these “great white birds, evidently two pairs 
and a single bird, which seemed to keep more or less aloof 
from the others,” This, then, presumably was the “Old 
Bach” of the group. 
Desiring to get still nearer, we rowed across the river 
but, upon landing, the bird had disappeared. We resumed 
our trip down the river in quest of the quartet. As we 
rowed along, this fifth bird flew ahead of us, alighting 
on the marsh some distance down stream. Reaching that 
point we beat about the marsh but failed to flush the bird, 
so we pursued our way down the stream toward the other 
four. 
Arriving at the place where they had last been seen, we 
landed but the birds had gone. Three of the party kept 
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