402 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



are placed in high forks of trees, generally in retired, almost 

 impassable swamps. I once visited a heronry of this species 

 in ErroU, N.H. It was in a deep swamp, which was inter- 

 sected by a small branch of the Androscoggin River. I 

 think that I never penetrated a more villanons tract : every 

 few rods a qnagmire would present itself, which, although 

 familiar to the persons who accompanied me, was generally 

 unrecognizable by me, from any patches of green turf; and 

 it was only by wading through mud and water, sometimes 

 up to my waist, or by leaping from one fallen tree to another, 

 through briers and brushwood, that I at last succeeded in 

 arriving beneath the trees in which the nests were built. 

 These were all dead hemlocks, white and smooth, without a 

 branch for certainly forty feet, and unclimbable. We could 

 see that the nests were nearly fiat, and were constructed of 

 twigs of different sizes, put together in a loose and slovenly 

 manner. This was about the 25th of June : the young were, 

 of course, then about two-thirds grown ; and, as I had heard 

 that they were excellent eating, I emptied both the barrels 

 of my gun into one of the nests, when down tumbled two 

 " squab Herons," as they are called. We had them broiled 

 for supper: they tasted something like duck, but had a 

 strong flavor that was not pleasant. " I don't hanker after 

 any more," as one of our company said after supper. The 

 old birds, at the report of my gun, began flying over our 

 heads, uttering their hoarse honks and guttural cries. They 

 were careful to keep out of gunshot ; and, after flying back 

 and forth a few minutes, they disappeared, and all was still. 

 The eggs of this species are laid about the 15th or 20th of 

 May : they are usually three or four in number, and their 

 form is ovoidal. They are of a light bluish-green color, and 

 average in dimensions about 2.62 by 1.75 inch. But one 

 brood is reared in the season. 



This is one of the most suspicious of our birds, and 

 the most difficult to be approached. It is constantly on the 

 lookout for danger ; and its long neck, keen eyes, and deli- 



