. 
50 ON THE BEACH AT DAYTONA. 
approach, but were at once on the wing fora 
long flight up or down the coast, looking like 
a flock of snow-white birds as they turned 
their under parts to the sun in rising above 
the breakers. Their manner of feeding, with 
the head pitched forward, and a quick, eager 
movement, as if they had eaten nothing for 
days, and were fearful that their present bit 
of good fortune would not last, is strongly 
characteristic, so that they can be recognized 
a long way off. As I have said, they were 
the only true beach birds ; but I rarely failed 
to see one or two great blue herons playing 
that role. The first one filled me with sur- 
prise. J had never thought of finding him 
in such a place; but there he stood, and be- 
fore I was done with Florida beaches I had 
come to look upon him as one of their most 
constant habitués. In truth, this largest 
of the herons is well-nigh omnipresent in 
Florida. Wherever there is water, fresh or 
salt, he is certain to be met with sooner or 
later; and even in the driest place, if you 
stay there long enough, you will be likely 
to see him passing overhead, on his way 
to the water, which is nowhere far off. On 
the beach, as everywhere else, he is a model 
