BIRDS AND ALL NATURE. ILLUSTRATED BY COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY. VOL. VII. FEBRUARY, 1900. NO. 2 CONTENTS. Page A BABY HERON. 49 THE KILLDEER. 50 COTTON TEXTILES. II. 53 THE CINNAMON TEAL. 59 A SCRAP OF PAPER. 59 THE CLAPPER RAIL. 62 THE SWINGING LAMPS OF DAWN. 62 THE LATE DR. ELLIOTT COUES. 65 BOBBY'S "COTTON-TAIL." 67 "THE COUNTRY, THE COUNTRY!" 68 THE GOPHER. 71 HANS AND MIZI. 72 GEOGRAPHY LESSONS. 73 THE MINK. 74 THE NEW SPORT. 77 MOLE CRICKET LODGE. 78 SNOW BIRDS. 79 VEGETATION IN THE PHILIPPINES. 80 COMMON MINERALS AND VALUABLE ORES. 83 FEBRUARY. 85 LICORICE. 86 A WINTER WALK IN THE WOODS. 90 THE SCARLET PAINTED CUP. 92 THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 95 WASHINGTON'S MONUMENT. 96 A BABY HERON. REST H. METCALF. How many of the boys and girls who read BIRDS AND ALL NATURE ever saw a baby heron? I am sure you would like to see ours. He measures from tip to tip of his wings, that is, with his wings spread just as far as we could stretch them, five feet and ten inches, and from the tip of his bill to the tip of his toe very nearly five feet. Now, isn't that a little baby? He is nearly full-grown but has not on the dress of the old birds; that is why we call him baby. He is called a crane by some people, but his right name is great blue heron, and his scientific name is _Ardea herodias_. Shall I tell you about his dress? His head is all dusky now, but when he puts on his new dress his forehead and central part of the crown will be white enclosed by a circle of black--a fine black crest with two elongated black plumes that make him appear to be very much dressed up. His back and wings are blue-gray, but like his head will be decorated with elongated scapulæ feathers, when he gets on his dress suit, and his long neck, which now has a rather dingy look, will have a beautiful collar of cinnamon brown tinged with purple and a white line in front from throat to breast. The tail is short and very inconspicuous. He really is a beautiful bird in spite of his long neck and long legs.