The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-29
TAME BLUE HERONS.
(From Forest and stream.)

Three years ago a hunter captured
from a nest on the bank of the Kis-
simmee river three young herons of the
great blue heron species. They were
purchased and turned loose in the
yard. They were certainly far from
prepossessing in appearance almost
bare of plumage with long legs scarce
ly able to support the slim body that
seemed burdened with the widespread
ing wings; long beaks and yellow eyes;
while their feet, how mirth- provoking
lit was to note their large proportions
| They grew rapidly, however, and in a
few months a tuft or crest of feathers
adorned their heads long silk-like
feathers appeared on the breast and
on the back they had taken on a. light
gray color, with the plumage on the
head and breast streaked with white.
Standing four feet in height, with every
feather ruffled at the approach of any
object of dislike, they were very for
misunderstanding birds.
While they had been taken from the
same nest, the female from the first
showed an antipathy toward the odd
male, making his life one of constant
retreat. She was more slender and
gentler in appearance than the male
birds, but was ruler of the yard. She
kept constantly by the side of the bird
Of her choice, but ruled his every wish.
so much so that the pair were named
Mr.. and Mrs. Caudle. They were fed
exclusively on fish and beef, and when
Caudle by chance secured the first bite.
she Immediately ran to him and took it
from him. The odd bird, whom we
named Snapper, dare not come within
range of the pair, but watched for his
dinner, grabbing it and running, for
MRS. Caudle would pursue him around
the house unless she was kept occu-
pied with her own food. The surpris-
ing part of this strange dislike was
that it was the female who took upon
herself the part to browbeat Snapper.
He became so completely cowed that
he occupied a, different part of the yard,
except at night, when that instinct to-
band for defense brought the herons
in the one yard and the cranes in the
other to a. mutual meeting ground with
only a. wire fence between; but with
dawn came all that pugnacious feeling
again. when Snapper took his old post,
standing silent and detected till the re-
turn of night. During feeding time he's
stealthily got himself place of safety,
where sympathy for his hard lot Sc
cured him many an extra morsel.
The birds all seemed TO love compan-
ionship, and would stand for hours by
the kitchen porch as still as il carved
out of wood, the only motion being the
ruff1ing of their plumage by the breeze.
They were always exceedingly shy of
strangers, and yet so well had they
learned the two words, Come on, come
on. that they would respond to any
voice that called them, and with heads
erect timidly approached, while the
same words from their master would
bring them, half-running, with wings
extended, expressing their pleasure by
a satisfied Qua, qua, qua" the only
language they seemed to possess. MANY
times during the day would the pair
demonstrate affection towards each
other. Beginning with that QUA, qua,
qua" they would turn beak to beak.
their long neczs dlstended. yet arched
and with beaks interlapping caress and
kiss with a degree of happiness that
would turn many lovesick Lothario
green with envy. All the while stood
poor Snapper, solitary and forlorn, with
mo one to love, none to caress."
One day, the dog rushing around the
corner, surprised Caudle, and he
slipped and fell as he went down the
steps. His back was broken and he
lived but two days, his mate standing
by him ill he died. After his death
she seemed lonely, but still refused to
allow snapper to come near her. This
went on for a while, when suddenly
he approached her with a QUA, qua,
qua" showed her that he intended to
! be master, and from that time on they
were as congenial as two birds could
be. They certainly could not be called
intelligent birds, but this degree of
domestication was considered by hunt
ers who have lived in the woods all
their lives to be simply remarkable.
| Finally their wings grew out, and
! snapper was permitted to GO The
wing of the female was not quite long
enough to allow her TO fly and the
male returned day after day to urge
her to come. At length she was driven
to the cypress forest at the back of the
town, where they lived and hshed in
the ditch and still frenuent