The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-14
RILL. THE HERON.
v,odm of Ignorance, He Became
Family Friend.

Fanny NfAth"'
RON, the Los Angeles Times.
snrious impulse that prompts the
zoe farmer, on the appearance of a
go bird about the premises, particu-
,'rI, if it be a large one. to seize gun
make haste to STAY the perhaps unot-
Zinc visitor. The fact that ranchor
.,a outskirts of our town had never
...re seen a night-heron was to him SUI
oxcuse for firing load of buck
he INTO 4 small flock of these birds that
snV' lattI7d down, late one afternoon, on a
hau snot near his house. Two of the
nj we're wounded, one in wing and leg,
Fl ~ other in wing only, ana these were
the ". after a short but exciting chase
inf IN a small box, covered with a
o.. screen. They were given bread,
htoh they would not eat, and water IN
shallow can, in which they could but
stn the tins of their long bills. None OF
uip nejghbors could identify the strange
are.trres. and, appealed to as perhaps
oho to name the birds, l drove out to
ebs ranch. with the understanding that
n,,ld have them if l wanted them, for
49, modest sum of -four bits The cap
4 ives proved to be night herons, not at all
y 80 in southern California, but not fire.
n anentIv seen, because of their nocturnal
n habits.
"a uo,nded. a few hours before my arrival,
nc death due perhaps as much to the
olose confinement and lack of proper food
as TO the flesh wounds, which did not
soem serious After "a short talk to the
# rancher on the great wrong in the indis-
eliminate slaughter of harmless birds in
,,fC In, nqrtipnlar 7
naid for the surviving heron and took him
home calling at the fish store on my way
III n eet him supply of suitable food. When
III NV little son saw the bird, he was much
IA IMPRESSED with the size of his beak. my,
what a long bilv' said he, II think
veil have to call him BILL he has such
a long one" So "Bill' was his name,
and we soon fixed up home for him
in a piano case. Some tree branches were
fastened in one end for roosting place,
and large pan of water put on the
sand-covered floor. Wire netting covered
W the front of the box, and a small door in
the end allowed us to put in his food
and water.
The black-crowned night-heron is more
Familiarity known to those who knew him
at all as "quawk," which is an accurate
representation of the birds call. He is a
bird of beautiful plumage. Bits crown
and back were black with a greenish
CLINT or sheen; the sides of his neck,
wings and tail, pearl-gray; throat, fore
head and underparts white. Three long,
white pumes grew from the back of his
head, dropping gracefully and sometimes
twisted together, appearing like one feath-
W er. These plumes are worn only during
the nesting season. His eyes were bril-
W liant red; his legs long and yellow.
'# 7 Pill his first meal after havfnU
W placed him in the cage. He was standing
erect on one of the benches when ! put
some bits of fish on a board on the floor
and pushed 1t over to the center of the
IA box, He looked at it moment and then
stretched out his long neck, and, reaching
down until he almost toppled off the perch,
seized piece of fish and gulped it down
speedily Another and then another piece
followed, and after each mouthful he
would go through tie most violent con-
tortiOns with his neck, forcing the morsel
down with apparently great difficulty.
Then he slowly and cautiously stepped
down from the branch, and with stately,
measured tread crossed the stage to the
water pan and drank eagerly in huge
W swallows, like thirty horse then return
ed to his perch; and so ended his first
supper in his new home Rather it should
be called his breakfast, for it was late
In the afternoon, and the heron's day be-
Fl gins at SHUTDOWN. Bin, though in cap
tlyity was true to the family trait. All
day long he sat moping and drowsy in
the darkest corner of the cage Near sun
W down his manner changed noticeably; he
held himself erect, his eyes flashed, his
"A pumage was smooth, nd his white
81 pumes waved as he walked in a spright-
~ way back and forth on the floor, lift
ing his feet like high-spirited horse. If
at this time of day the childrens pet dog
or cat came in front of the cage, Bill
would ruttle up his feathers, snap his bill
IN an angry way and rush to the wire,
vi clueking out his displeasure in no uncer-
IAN tone, and making very uncompli-
mehtery remarks in regard to cats and
oogs He seemed more hostile to the
DOG than the cat, and would get very an
~ cry II l held the puppy up to the wire
'front.' of his domicile.
All through the night our heron kept
on the move, and sometimes when 1 wax
60 IN the night, would hear him strike
ms peak against the wires and call
quaWk, quawk," in the hopes, perhaps,
VI getting a response from his lost COM
panlon' In the morning 1 would find
'Ih sitting, sad and silent, on his roost-
ing place. Sometimes / would find
piece OF fish in the water pan; whether
Se put II there to soften or to cleanse 1t
10 not know. Perhaps he deluded
himself with the idea that this rusty
pan was little private fishing pool of
ais own and pretended" as children do,
lnal ne was catching his own fish in the
natural way.
Inc second day we had our heron he
eseaped through the end door, which had
nOt oeen securely fastened. There was
ee 9 iamentation on the part of the
Inuieh ana the grown-up folks as we'll.
Ane" the bird could not fly on account
us VI "s wounded wing, and the family d.
siled itself into search parties and went
~, rnVush al the orchards and gardens in
,S e uelshoorhood. All had returned from
M. e huht, unsuccessful and in despair,
wy" l chanced to look up in a peach
80 mat stood just back of the cage.
.. I there half way up the tree and par
tr toy concealed by the foliage, sat our
h,s' I'M last asleep. With gunny sack
ssae me to ward off possible blow
81 hlU. Tue strong beak, 1 easily reached
Ne anu soon had him back In his house.
an, nad evidently hoped up on a box,
snS rom that to a low limb of the tree,
fon.s ."eh easily climbed up to where /
me gradually got accustomed to hav-
ola Seope ABOUT, and So far forgot his
n rnorrI apts OF eating at night and early
4 NO., ". that he would take bits of fish
tbron. tHe END OF stick when poked
apv bal. me wires by the children, at
~