122 BULLETIN 135, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



shot at a Ward heron carrying in its bill an unknown object, which 

 "proved to be a fine specimen of that singular a([uatic arviculine 

 mammal, which had been recently described by Mr. True as Neqfiber 

 alleni, from a single specimen, which up to this time remained 

 unique." A young bird which we frightened from its nest disgorged 

 a mullet 10 inches long and a water moccasin 18 inches long. 



Behavior. — There is very little difference in behavior between this 

 and other great blue herons, but my experience with it, both in 

 Florida and in Texas, has indicated that it is much less shy. It 

 seems to have a decitled antipathy toward the great white heron. 

 Audubon (1S40) took a pair of young Ward herons to Charleston 

 with him, of which he says: 



I had them placed iu a large coop containing four individuals of the Ardea 

 occidenlalis, who immediately attacked the newcomers in the most violent man- 

 ner, so that I was obliged to turn them loose on the deck. I had frequently 

 observed the great antipathy evinced by the majestic white species toward the 

 blue in the wild state, but was surprised to find it equally strong in young birds 

 which had never seen one, and were at that period smaller than the others. All 

 my endeavers to remove their dislike were unavailing, for when placed in a large 

 yard, the white herons attacked the blue and kept them completely under. 



Mr. Maynard (1896) had a somewhat similar experience. One 

 that he kept in confinement in Florida was "constantly trying to get 

 at some beautiful white herons," which he allowed to go at large. 

 This bird managed, after a time, to kill one out of three of the white 

 herons. 



Enemies. — These large herons are well able to take care of them- 

 selves and the adults have few enemies; even man does not often 

 molest them as they have no plumes of commercial value. But the 

 eggs and small young are far from safe, if left unguarded by their 

 parents. In Florida the crows and fish crows, which often live in or 

 near the rookeries, pounce on the eggs of any of the herons at the 

 first opportunity offered by the absence of the old herons, and many 

 eggs are destroyed by them every year. In Texas the black vulture 

 is the greatest scourge. One or more pairs of these rascals have 

 their nests in practically every rookery and they must levy heavy 

 toll on both eggs and young. This habit is so well known that the 

 wardens make an effort to kill every vulture that they can and to 

 break up their nests. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Breeding range. — Southeastern United States. East to southeast- 

 ern South Carolina (Hiltonliead, Beaufort County) ; Georgia (Savan- 

 nah and mouth of the Altamaha River); and Florida (St. Johns 

 River, Mosquito Inlet, Indian River, and Hillsboro River). South 

 to Florida Keys (Upper Matecumbe Key, Key West, and Marquesas 

 Key); Alabama (Montgomery County and, Greensboro); Mississippi 



