GREAT HERON. 59 



lined vviili smaller twigs, each occupies the top of a single tree. 

 The eggs are generally four, of an oblong pointed form, larger 

 than those of a hen, and of a light greenish blue without any 

 spots. The young are produced about the middle of May, 

 and remain on the trees until they are full as heavy as the old 

 ones, being extremely fat, before they are able to fly. They 

 breed but once in the season. If disturbed in their breeding- 

 place, the old birds fly occasionally over the spot, sometimes 

 honking like a Goose, sometimes uttering a coarse hollow grunt- 

 ing noise like that of a hog, but much louder. 



The Great Heron is said to be fat at the full moon, and lean 

 at its decrease; this might be accounted for by the fact of their 

 fishing regularly by moonlight through the greater part of the 

 night, as well as during the day; but the observation is not uni- 

 versal, for at such times I have found some lean as well as 

 others fat. The young are said to be excellent for the table, and 

 even the old birds, when in good order, and properly cooked, 

 are esteemed by many. 



The principal food of the Great Heron is fish, for which he 

 watches with the most unwearied patience, and seizes them 

 with surprising dexterity. At the edge of the river, pond or 

 seashore he stands fixed and motionless, sometimes for hours 

 together. But his stroke is quick as thought, and sure as fate to 

 the first luckless fish that approaches within his reach; these he 

 sometimes beats to death, and always swallows head foremost, 

 such being their uniform position in the stomach. He is also an 

 excellent mouser, and of great service to our meadows in de- 

 stroying the short-tailed or meadow mouse, so injurious to the 

 banks. He also feeds eagerly on grasshoppers, various winged 

 insects, particularly dragon flies, which he is very expert at 

 striking, and also eats the seeds of that species of nymphoe usu- 

 ally called splatter docks, so abundant along our fresh water 

 ponds and rivers. 



The Heron has great powers of wing, flying sometimes very 

 high, and to a great distance; his neck doubled, his head drawn 

 in, and his long legs stretched out in a right line behind him, 





