Evening star., 1948-08-12
This and That
Bu Charles Z. Trdce1DeU


Down at the Airport recently visitors were
attracted by large white birds perched In some
low trees.
One tesitatingly pronounced them American
egrets, and he was right.
This summer numbers of these egrets. along
with few snowy egrets and some little oiue
herons in the white phase have been sighted
along the Potomac.
Reports from New York and New Jersey tell
of comparatively large fiockS being seen Egrets
have been sighted as far north as Hartford
Conn.
This is the first time since the American
egret was thereatened with extinction that 1t
has shown up in countable numbers.
Florida once was filled with egrets, but the
use of the plumes soon led to their near
extinction.
Since then laws have been passed to protect
them, and conservation work has led to their
increase, so that now once again they have
taken to flying around to see the United
States.
Breeding places from North Carolina south
have been given protection.
This summer many persons along the coast
have seen the American egret in flight for
the first time.
It is large bird, 40 inches long, with long
train of feathers springing from the back ana
extending beyond the tail.
The plumage is white, the bill yellow, and
the legs and feet black.
The snowy egret Is much smaller, being but
"a inches long. It. too is pure white, with both
bill and legs black The toes, however, are
yellow.
The snowy egret has crest, with smaller
"crests" from the back and neck!
The little blue heron is "a inches long. Old
adults are dark slate-blue; bill, black shading
to blue; legs and feet are black.
Sy11f r, SnOW1nR
traces of blue, on close inspection.
All of these birds have statuesque poses,
typical Of such birds the world around.
* **
Egret plumes or aigrettes, once were very
fashionable for women's hats.
Fortunately women no longer seem to care
for such things, at least in the quantities they
once did.
The bare-headed craze. which some persons
still criticize has been responsible at least to
some extent, in putting such "adornments"
out Of favor.
For variety of reasons one of which is
the outdoor look, suntan, etc. with all of which
plumy bird feathers do not go" the killing Of
the egrets has ceased.
It has been partly due to the work OF pioneers
of the American Audubon Society, and con-
servationsts and bird lovers in all walks OF
life.
A warden of the society was killed in Florida,
while Trying 10 pIotcCI liic UiS ph No.
Various laws protecting birds have been
adopted, and today 1t looks very much as II
the herons will live the lives God intended.
REPORTS of as many as dozen American
eprets have come in from visitors to Reaches
Run.
Some of these birds have strayed into nearby
Maryland watering resorts and few have
scattered over the countryside.
So if you see white bird, larger than you
have ever seen, standing very still, do not
cry out "Stork!' but believe instead, that you
see an American egret, and you probably Will
be right.
Reports from up North indicate that about
80 per cent of such big white birds seen are
American egrets, and the rest immature blue
herons Only q few snowy egrets have been
reported from New York.
The little blue herons in the white phase
have been comparatively well known in the
vicinity of the National Capital for many years.
Small focks of them have flown over the
National Geological Park, heading South; and
they often have been reported along the
Potomac.
A few specimens of the Florida gallinule have
been seen in the city, In back yards. from
time to time. This Is the water hen," IA
inches long, dark slate In color, with some
brown on the back, and dark red over the
head, and bit of red at the part Of the legs
where they join onto the body. The legs are
Rreenish. There II q white stripe along the
vings where meeting the body.