Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-31

0etiver00 u vOlleyS and the unnormeQ
birds have fiown away We row about and
be taken to get the feathers and plumes
az free as possible from discolored water
or the stain Of weeds Every week we
have to throw away the carcass of an
egret or heron because the feathers or
plumes are bl0od-stained or twisted out
of shape.
After we have got our birds, and have
picked the few feathers we want from
each. we plan another onslaught in an
other locality. II We are lucky we may
amid reeds and foliage under OF
darkness, so as to be ready for more
shooting the next morning. We row
about with rare caution, we seldom
speak in loud tones, and we do not even
smoke when we are hunting, because
of the extraordinary wariness of the
birds. Many a time 1 have lain in n
position for hours beneath my little roof
of tules and rushes. because I saw that
a flock Of egrets was suspicious Of the
presence of an enemy.
1.-THE shores of the lagoons of Central
America n the southern part OF Mex
leo abound in %alligators, while oil a
ner Of pestiferous singing flies. gnats,
inc mosquitoes are in the air. We have
suffered tortures from insect pests. n
several years ago one of my hunting men
died in agony from the poison of gnats.
When we are on shore we nave LANCER
at night from the puma, or mountain
lion. and we always sleep with fires
burning on all sides of our camp. I
brought up with me OF this trip to Los
Angeles eleven puma skins for sale to
fur makers. / have lost several jack
asses by the mountain lions. One day
I caught a lion in the very act of at
+, lacking one of my donkeys. The lion,
which is simply an cat. had
| sprung at the soft. flabby neck OF the
donkey, and had torn away the flesh.
preparatory to sucking the blood at the
jugular vein.
"Egrets and herons are. as you know.
| of the crane family of birds. The egrets
are small, much like the bitterns and
boatbills of the same family. Herons
usually easur four feet from the Dill
to tip of the tail. Their expanse OF
wings is often seven feet, and they stand
about forty inches high. Their weight
is from three to four pounds.
''The hunting season for both egrets
and herons begins in February and
closes in September. After August the
coarse and hard and are in no demand
in the best markets. Both varieties OF
! the birds are as white as snow so TAR as
I have ever seen. but people from Peru
and Argentine Republic say they nave
seen blue and red and even black herons.
Herons are slow of fight, and. like the
cranes that are known all over the
world, they have a very graceful, dignl-
fled way of drawing their attenuated legs
up under them n sailing away to lofty
eminences by an occasional flap of their
wings. The egrets are more tussy and
nervous creatures. They are as watch
full as weasels, although one who sees
them for the first time would be very
ant to think egrets dufnb and stupid,
like ostriches. Both herons n egrets
feed ON small fish, frogs, and insects that
they find close in shore, where the birds
may wade about in the marsh and pick
up their victims at will.
The egret's feathers are much more
beautiful and delicate than the heron.s s.
All egret plumes come from the back,
and they droop gracefully over the tail
Of the bird. The heron prefers to make
a nest in the top Of some tree along the
edge of a bay or a lagoon, or particu-
larry on the oppermost part OF a rock or
promontory that may rear itself up from
an inland bay. Egrets make nests
among driftwood or in a dry spot among
PUSHES, accumulated seaweed, or brush
in a lagoon as far from shore as possible,
Both varieties of birds make nests OF
| sticks and large twfgs, n both have
been known to keep their nests for sew
| eral years at q time. although I myself
have never been able to observe thai
point because my advent in a colony OF
the crane family means war and death
in short order. Egrets usually lay SIX
eggs and herons four. The eggs OF both
are of a sea green hue. A heron does
not nave it's best feathers until it is ter
months old, and the plumes of an egret
are not worth 1923 an ounce until the bird
is over a year. old"