The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-16

the cedar swamps seeking young herons
for dinner At night the raccoon the
wildcat. and other proving beasts prey
bountfully upon them, and the birds need
all their caution and sagacity to escape
from these varied assaults.
The natives of the cedar swami locali-
ties call the night heron the quay bird
because the cries of the bird resemble
that sound. The herons are migratory
ana always leave the swamps at night The
route they take is always plainly marked
by their cry of Quay! quayp repeated at
regular intervals.
The cypress forests or swamps of the
South are quite as delightful to the natu-
ralst as the cedar swamps are and what
he has found there most to interest him
IS the snake bird. Like the cedars, the
mourntul cypress trees grow close ana
mick together, and have a long beard
llke plant or moss streaming from their
branches Here and there are dark-col-
ored ponds and sluggish creeks. where
allIgators swim,or lie upon the water like
half-sunken logs. These ponds, inclosed by
trees and with trees growing from them
in the deepest solitude of the cypress
swamps, are the places the snake bird
loves
THE snake bird has a long bill like the
herons with a pouch on the under side
like that of the pelican only smaller. It's
plumage is a dark, glossy green in color.
The neck Is long and flexible, very slender.
and spotted with white. The tan feathers
are long, and can be spread out like a fan
The snake bird is very watchful ana
cautious, and when at rest, which the bird
never Is except on the branch of a tree
mat oVerhangs the water, il always stands
erect with wings spread out, and Jerks its
iong neck nervously backward and forward
While its keen, bright eyes glance in every
direction ready to detect the slightest sign
OF danger. Alarmed, down the bird Will
drop into the water, so noiselessly and
dettly that no splash succeeds the plunge
ana scarcely ripple marks the spot of its
disappearance. For minute the bird Is
gone, and then its head will be seen com
ing slowly and warily out of the water
scarcely span away from the spot where
1t went down. If the glance it casts around
in its quick way SATISFIES II that the dan
ger Is past, its long neck appears upon the
water and the bird swlms toward the
shore. The movements OF the slender neck
in the water as the bird swims no other
part of its body being visible, so closely
resembles the action of a snake swimming
that stranger 10 the cypress swamps
would surely fancy that 1t was indeed a
snake making for a landing. This is why
tins curious deni1en of the cypress soil
tudes is called the snake bird. If one of
these birds has been shot at and wounded
as II sits upon the bough it will make its
noiseless dive into the pool and although
the wound may have not been in itself IA
tai, the bird will never voluntarily appear
above the water again. 1t will go to the
bottom and clutch the weeds there with
It's bill and feet and deliberately drown it.
self.
The snake bird, unlike the heron of the
cedar SWamps, Is abroad only In the day-
time 1t returns every night to the same
tree to rOost. Even in daytime if it be
rainy or the sky cloudcd over, the bird will
not stir from its tree unless disturbed, but
Will sleep the time away its long neck
curled back over its body until its head
rests on its fanlike tail. Asleep, the snake
bird shores as generously as a drunken sail
or. Like the heron, the snake bird feeds
upon fish, but goes to work In a very diff
ferent way to capture its prey. IT does not
stand in the water watching for it, nor
does it drop from its perch to pOunce upon
it, as one might wen expect so expert
diver 10 do. The snake bird swlms when
it is fishing, and dives as II swims Before
diving the bird opens Its bill several times
and inhales air literally. Thus 1t is en-
abled to remain under water remarka bly,
long time. Having captured Its fish the
bird comes to the surface, losses the fish
into the air, catches il as it comes down
anu DNdifONo IL ~ lulthly lIidt one scarce
~ knows what has become of IL. That u.s.
if the bird is fishing to supply its own
wants. If II Is fishing to feed its young, the
disposition of the fish is quite another af-
fair.
THE snake bird builds its nest In a cy-
press tree. The nest is built in the form
of a circle. The foundation Of the nest is
Of dry sticks. This Is built upon with
green twigs and leaves woven together
NH ba
shrubbery. The nest is then lined with
the long moss that depends from the cy
press trees. While the female sits on her
four eggs. her mate scars above her in
circles, each circle taking II higher and
higher, until It is almost a speck in the
sky. Then, closing ats wings 1t falls like
a meteor through the air to its starting
place. Resting a moment at the edge Of
The nest, 1t takes wing again, repeating
the aerial maneuver without cessation dur
ing the day, and every day during the
three weeks the female is on the nest As
to what the significance of this strange
flight is : have never been able 10 satisfy
myself, and have never heard of any
theory that might explain IT,
THE young snake birds are born with
vsrocious appetites, and they keep their
parents busy supplying them with fish
Unlike the night heron, the snake birds DO
not think of their own appetites while
their young depend upon them for susten-
ance. Instead of swallowing the fish
they catch they iii their pouches with
them and carry them home. The female
carries two and the male carries two.
Reaching the nest together. one Of the old
birds opens its capacious bill. - young.
ster dives into it and drags forth a FISH.
Then into 1t plunges another and gels a
FISH This disposes of that parents cargo,
and it drops back into the pond. The
other parent then opens ats pouch In the
nest and the two unfed young ones
snatch each IT'S fish, and that parent goee
back 10 the water after more. Fortu-
nately, the growth Of the young snake
bird ie rand ana vyhan they ara a rUaatr