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period of the summer's day, selecting usually such shallow 

 inlets as the ebbing- tide leaves bare or accessible to his 

 watchful and patient mode of prowling; here, wading to the 

 knees, he stands motionless amidst the timorous fry, till some 

 victim coming within the compass of his wily range is as in- 

 stantly seized by the powerful bill of the Heron « * * * 

 If large, the fish is beaten to death, and commonly swallowed 

 with the head descending, as if to avoid any obstacle arising 

 from the reversion of the fins or any hard external processes. 

 On land our Heron also has his fare, as he is no less a suc- 

 cessful angler than a mouser, and renders an important ser- 

 vice to the farmer in the destruction he makes among most 

 of the reptiles and meadow mice. Grasshoppers, other large 

 insects, and particularly dragon-flies, he is very expert in 

 striking, and occasionally feeds upon the seeds of pond lilies, 

 contiguous to his usual haunts. Our species, in all probability, 

 as well as the European Heron, at times preys upon the young 

 birds which may be accidentally straggling near. their solitary 

 retreats." 



In the months of March and April, 1885, I examined 

 the stc-machs of twenty-three of these birds which had 

 been killed by plume-hunters in Orange and Volusia 

 counties, Florida. TAvelve birds had fed entirely on 

 fish; three had taken fish and crayfish; two, small 

 snakes; one, frogs and fish; one, fish and a few feathers; 

 one, traces of beetles; three birds were destitute of all 

 food materials. 



