THE GREAT WHITE HERONS. 75 



marshes or to the Neusiedler Lake. Mr. Seebohm gives the 

 following account of the species : — " The habits of this graceful 

 bird resemble those of the Common Heron in many respects. 

 It delights to frequent the outskirts of extensive swamps, the 

 margins of rivers, and shallow w-eed-grown lakes, together with 

 willow-thickets and other wooded country when it is flooded. 

 It may frequently be seen in small parties of perhaps half a 

 dozen individuals, walking sedately about mud-flats and low 

 islands, or standing preening its brilliantly white plumage. It 

 is a very conspicuous bird, and may be observed for half a mile 

 or more ; consequently it is very wary, and seldom allows the 

 observer to come near. It looks remarkably graceful as it walks 

 slowly up and down the marshy banks of a stream or stands 

 motionless, sometimes on one leg, in the water, patiently wait- 

 ing for food. Its flight is moderately slow, performed by a 

 series of regular flappings of the wings. It seems more buoyant 

 in the air than the Common Heron, and looks more graceful. 

 Its flight is often prolonged for a considerable distance, and the 

 bird is very conspicuous as it flaps slowly over the dense waving 

 reeds. The Great White Heron may be seen in little parties all 

 through the breeding-season, and in winter it congregates into 

 much larger flocks. It also mingles freely with other species 

 of Herons, but its large size is always enough to distinguish it 

 from its congeners. It does not appear to frequent the most 

 secluded and almost impenetrable reeds like the Bittern, but 

 haunts the little open spaces and the borders of the swamps, 

 and is very fond of the tangled herbage on the banks of a 

 stream. It often wades for some distance in the water, and 

 seems as partial to running streams as to still lakes and 

 ponds. 



'* The food of the Great White Heron is principally composed 

 of small fish, but great quantities of water-insects and their 

 larvae, frogs, and small mammals are captured. The bird ap- 

 pears to obtain the greater part, if not all, of its food in the 

 day-time, but it may seek for it at night when the moon is at 

 or near the full. The note is a harsh and deep bark, but it is 

 only occasionally heard. The note of the young birds is de- 

 scribed by Homeyer as kek^ rapidly repeated." 



Lord Lilford says that in captivity it exhibits a spiteful and 

 unfriendly spirit to companions of its own species and to other 



