The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-19
THousANDs or NIenr nnRoNs.
Strange Colony Established in a
Wood in Pennsylvania.

From the Baltimore American
"In the township of Bristol in my ma
tive county, three miles from the Della
ware river" said a citizen of Bucks coun-
ty, Pennsylvania, SIS an elevated tract
of woodland covering perhaps three acres.
the timber being chiefly oak of ancient
growth. During winter there Is nothing
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 20 be
heard there that naturally set the stran-
ger who may happen along that way to
much wondering and speculation.
Just why the big, long-legged, tufted
birds should have selected that particular
piece of woods to establish their colony
in, no one knows. but thirty years or more
ago it was pre-empted by pair of black
crowned night herons, who built their
rude nest of sticks and twlgs near the
top of one of the oak trees. There the
female deposited four green eggs. It 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 eggs 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 Matching 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 a short
time earned for them among the adjacent
farmers the name OF quawk, 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 es-
tablished homes of their own in the
woods.
when the cold weather came in the
fall the family OF herons flew away south
ward. The next April they came back
again, and they or their descendants have
been coming and going ever since, until
now they hold entire possession Of Tho
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 thou
sands, and no doubt overflows from it
have established themselves elsewhere. All
through the summer, from twilight until
croaking of the herons as they return from
their fishing and foraging excursions or
start out to make them.
1.-THE coming Of the night herons 10 this
wood in the spring and their departure
in the fail are as mysterious as the com
Ing and going OF the swallows. One day
there win be no sight or sound of any 81
the big birds In or about the grove. b1t
before the next morning they NAV oe
heard coming in with their far-soundine
quawks, and they keep on coming. untjl
after a few nights there VIII bevhundreds
upon hundreds of them. During The dav
a person passing this tract OF timber
would not suspect that ii was literary
crowded With BIRDS as big as the heron. "a
entirely quiet DO they keep IN the trees.
But LET him shout loudly, or clan his
hands. or make any unusual noise and in
stantly he Will be almost deafened by the
cries that come from every tree and per-
haps startled by the bristlng showing of
here, there and everywhere from among
the foliage. When twilight approaches.
though quiet and peacefulness vanish from
the grove. Then 49, herons begin TO Ia Ike
flight on their f0faglng trips each one
making the fact known by harsh quawks
THE night heron Is a fisherman above
everything else. and all night long this
herony Is the scene Of the greatest
hubbub. Herons are constantly returning
with fish for their nesting mates or their
young, or going back in quest OF more.
Tons OF fish are carried 10 their lofty heron
nests during the patching season Hawke
and crows are industrious and destructive
enemies of the heron. end get away with
hosts of eggs and young birds during the
season. Many battles occur between these
rapacious narauders and the long-legged
defenders of the colony.
There is q tradition that this heron
colony was founded by a pair Of herons
which Were the sole survivors OF q colony
in the northern part Of the state tint had
existed there for nany years and was
destroyed by forest fire. THE two herons
IN some way found the oak woods In
Bucks county IN their wanderIngs, liked
Inc looks or them, pre-emDfed a home
there and started the present grea,
colony.n