GREAT WHITE HERON. 65 



but on a closer examination, its rudiments" are plainly to be per- 

 ceived, extending several inches beyond the common plumage. 



The Great White Heron breeds in several of the extensive 

 cedar swamps in the lower parts of New Jersey. Their nests 

 are built on the trees, in societies; the structure and materials 

 exactly similar to those of the Snowy Heron, but larger. The 

 eggs are usually four, of a pale blue colour. In the months of 

 July and August, the young make their first appearance in the 

 meadows and marshes, in parties of twenty or thirty together. 

 The large ditches with which the extensive meadows below 

 Philadelphia are intersected, are regularly, about that season, 

 visited by flocks of those birds; these are frequently shot; but 

 the old ones are too sagacious to be easily approached. Their 

 food consists of frogs, lizards, small fish, insects, seeds of the 

 splatter-dock, (a species of Nymphse) and small water 'snakes. 

 They will also devour mice and moles, the remains of such 

 having been at different times found in their stomachs. 



The long plumes of these birds have at various periods been 

 in great request, on the continent of Europe, particularly in 

 France and Italy, for the purpose of ornamenting the female 

 head-dress. When dyed of various colours, and tastefully fashion- 

 ed, they form a light and elegant duster and mosquitoe brush- 

 The Indians prize them for ornamenting their hair, or top- 

 knot; and I have occasionally observed these people wandering 

 through the market place of New Orleans, with bunches of those 

 feathers for sale. 



The Great White Heron measures five feet from the extremi- 

 ties of the wings, and three feet six inches from the tip of the 

 bill to the end of the tail; the train extends seven or eight in- 

 ches farther. This train is composed of a great number of long, 

 thick, tapering shafts, arising from the lower part of the shoul- 

 ders, and thinly furnished on each side with fine flowing hair- 

 like threads, of several inches in length, covering the lower 

 part of the back, and falling gracefully over the tail, which it 

 entirely conceals. The whole plumage is of a snowy white- 

 ness, except the train, which is slightly tinged with yellow 



VOL. III. K 





