Page:Bird-lore Vol 08.djvu/31

 The Little Green Heron 13 upon going into the orchard one might see a dozen old birds flying about. I found them rather shy and yet had little trouble getting them used to the camera, the camera being placed some three or four feet from the nest, and somewhat secreted with twigs placed about for that purpose. The cut showing an old bird on nest was taken May 29, the same day as the photograph of the eggs. The old bird returned to the nest several times after having been frightened away, and the first time was gone two hours, but afterward would be gone but a short time before her return. Sometimes where the tree in which the nest was lo- cated was isolated, two birds were seen, indicating that both were interested in the house- keeping. It was with difficulty that a photograph was obtained of the young fledged birds shown in the cut, since they were nearly large enough to fly. When I attempted to climb the apple tree, they all left the nest and hopped about from limb to limb in the tree, not attempting to leave the home tree, however. One peculiarity of the young birds that I noticed was the disgorging of food when pursued in the tree. Why, I am unable to tell, unless it was that they might be able to hop better. I saw them in the act of disgorging, and, upon examination of the matter disgorged, I found several minnows, some an inch and some two inches long. Crayfish also were in evidence; indeed, from what I saw I should judge that crayfish made a large portion of their food. The old bird, when returning to the tree and alighting, could be heard to give a sort of cackle, not altogether unlike the cluck of a hen, and the tail would twitch. The young birds, when large enough to be out of the nest, could be seen in the tree usually standing very erect. I noticed, with some interest, their manner of getting about in the tree, using their wings as hands, before they were large enough to fly, and hooking the head over a limb to assist them. NEST AND EGGS OF GREEN HERON. MAY zg, igo;