Southern Republican., 1899-09-02
WAYS OF NIGHT HERoNs.
The Strange Colony Established by
the Birds I'm n Wood in
Bucks County, Pa.

ware river, said a citizen of Bucks
county. Pa. lis an elevated tract OF
woodland covering perhaps three acres,
the timber being chiefly oak of ancient
growth. During winter there is moth
ing unusual in or about that tract
OF timber to attract attention. but from
early in April until cold weather comes
again there are sights to be seen and
sounds to be heard there that naturally
set the stranger who may happen along
that way to much wondering and spec
uation.
Just why the big. long-legged, tuft-
ed birds should have selected that par.
ticular piece of woods to establish theiI
colony in no one knows, but 80 years or
more ago it was preempted by paiI
of black crowned night herons. who
built their rude nest of sticks and twigs
near the top of one of the oak trees.
There the female deposited four green
eggs. 1t is supposed they were green.
at least, for that is the color the night
heron chooses as the hue of its eggs.
There might have been more than four
in the nest, but if there were results
did not prove it, for only four young
herons came from the nesting. While
the female heron was engaged in hatch
ing these eggs, her mate journeyed
nightly to the Delaware river and
caught fish, with which he returned and
fed her. The loud, harsh cries of these
two birds in the night, and in the day
time if they were disturbed, in short
time earned for them among the adj
iacent farmers the name of quawk, a
local name by which the descendants
Of the original pair are known to this
day. The four young herons grew and
thrived. When they were old enough
they went fishing nights themselves
and by and by established homes Of
their own in the woods.
"When the cold weather came in the
fall the family of herons flew away
southwark. The next April they came
back again, and they or their descend
ants have been coming and going ever
since, until now they hold entire pos
session of the woods, not a tree being
without nest during the season. and
some trees having four nests each.
Nowhere else in this part of the state
are there any of these queer birds.
The colony numbers thousands, and 10
doubt overflOws from it have estab-
lished themselves elsewhere. All
through the summer, from twilight un-
til sunrise, this grove is filled with the
croaking of the herons as they return
from their fishing and foraging eXcur-
sions or start out to make them.
"The coming of the night herons to
this wood in the spring and their de-
parture in the fall are as mysterious as
the coming and going of the swallows.
One day there will be NO sight or sound
Of any of the big birds in or about the
grove, but before the next morning they
may be heard coming in with their far
sounding quawks, and they keep on
coming, until after few nights there
will be hundreds upon hundreds Of
them. During the day person passing
this tract of timber would not suspect
that it was literally crowded with birds
as big as the heron, so entirely quiet
do they keep in the trees. But let him
shout loudly. or clap his hands, or make
any unusual noise, and instantly he
will be almost deafened by the cries
that come from every tree, and perhaps
startled by the bristlinT showing Of
tufteds heads and great beaks that rise
here, there and everywhere from among
the foliage. When twilight approaches,
though, quiet and peacefulness vanish
from the grove Then the herons begin
to take flight on their foraging trips,
each one making the fact known by
harsh quawks.
The night heron is fisherman above
everything else, and all night long this
herony is the scene of the greatest
hubbub. IIerons are constantly re-
turning with fish for their nesting mates
or their young, or going back in quest
of more. Tons. of fish are carried to
their lofty heron nests during the
hatchfng season. Hawks and crows
are industrious and destructive enc
mics of the heron, and get away with
hosts of eggs and young birds during
the season. Many battles occur be
the long-legged defenders of the col
ony.
There is a tradition that this heron
colony was founded by pair of herons
which were the sole survivors of a
colony in the northern part of the state
that had existed there for many years
and was destroyed by a forest fire. The
two herons in some way found the oak
woods in Bucks county in their wander
ngs, liked the looks of them, preempt-
ed home there and started the present
great colony."-N. Y. Sun.
SubduinE an UnruIy Son.
4 remarkable event has occurred at
Using kiang-pu. A man by the name
of King had a son who made his father
and mother lose face" because of the
wild. rakish life he led. He gambled,
loafed, smoked opiun, etc. If he stole,
his father would be taken to the yamp
and the whole family would suffer for
the sons villainy, and the vital ques-
ton was: How could the family be
IL. i l.,