100 BULLETIN 135, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



body to the boards and killed by one of them. At last they began to 

 pursue the younger children of my worthy friend, who therefore 

 ordered them to be killed." 



Of the behavior of this species in a wild state, Audubun (1840) 

 writes : 



These herons are sedate, quiet, and perhaps even less animated than the A. 

 Herodias. They walk majestically, with firmness and great elegance. Unlike the 

 species just named, they flock at their feeding grounds, sometimes a hundred or 

 more being seen together; and what is still more remarkable is, that they betake 

 themselves to the mud flats or sand bars at a distance from the keys on which 

 they roost and breed. They seem, in so far as I could judge, to be diurnal, an 

 opinion corroborated by the testimony of Mr. Egan, a person of great judgment, 

 sagacity, and integrity. While on these banks, they stand motionless, rarely 

 moving toward their prey, but waiting until it comes near, when they strike it 

 and swallow it alive, or when large, beat it on the water, or shake it violently, 

 biting it severely all the while. They never leave their feeding grounds until 

 driven off by the tide, remaining until the water reaches their body. So wary 

 are they, that although they may return to roost on the same keys, they rarely 

 alight on trees to which they have resorted before, and if repeatedly disturbed 

 they do not return, for many weeks at least. When roosting, they generally 

 stand on one foot, the other being drawn up, and unlike the ibises, are never 

 seen lying flat on trees, where, however, they draw in their long neck, and place 

 their head under their wing. I was often surprised to see that while a flock was 

 resting by day in the position just described, one or more stood with outstretched 

 necks keenly eyeing all around, now and then suddenly starting at the sight of a 

 porpoise or shark in chase of some fish. The appearance of a man or a boat, 

 seemed to distract them; yet I was told that nobody ever goes in pursuit of them. 

 If surprised, they leave their perch with a rough croaking sound, and fly directly 

 to a great distance, but never inland. 



The flight of the great white heron is firm, regular, and greatly protracted. 

 They propel themselves by regular slow flaps, the head being drawn in after they 

 have proceeded a few yards, and their legs extended behind, as is the case with 

 all other herons. They also now and then rise high in the air, where they sail in 

 wide circles, and they never alight without performing this circling fiight, unless 

 when going to feeding grounds on which other individuals have already settled. 

 It is truly surprising that a bird of so powerful a flight never visits Georgia or 

 the Carolinas, nor goes to the mainland. When you see them about the middle 

 of the day on their feeding grounds they " loom" to about double their size, and 

 present a singular appearance. It is difficult to kill them unless with buckshot, 

 which we fo<ind ourselves obliged to use. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — A nonmigratory species of greatly restricted range. Breeds 

 only in the extreme southern portion of Florida and on some of the 

 Florida Keys. North to Man-of-War Bush (Florida Bay), Cape 

 Sable, and Cape Romano. East to Upper Mctacumbc Key and Indian 

 Key. South and west to Torch Keys, Cudjoe Key, Johnstons Keys, 

 and Marquesas Key. 



