40 ARDEA NYCTICORAX. 



Delaware, near Thompson's Point, ten or twelve miles 

 belo\v Philadelphia ; which having been repeatedly 

 attacked and plundered by a body of crows, after many 

 severe rencounters, the herons finally abandoned the 

 place. Several of these breeding places occur among 

 the red cedars on the sea beach of Cape May, inter- 

 mixed with those of the little egret, green bittern, and 

 blue heron. The nests are built entirely of sticks, in 

 considerable quantities, with frequently three and four 

 nests on the same tree. The eggs are generally four 

 in number, measuring two inches and a quarter in 

 length, by one and three quarters in thickness, and of 

 a very pale light blue colour. The ground or marsh 

 below is bespattered with their excrements lying all 

 around like whitewash, with feathers, broken e^- shells, 

 old nests, and frequently small fish, which they have 

 dropt by accident, and neglected to pick up. 



On entering the swamp in the neighbourhood of one 

 of these breeding places, the noise of the old and the 

 young would almost induce one to suppose that two or 

 three hundred Indians were choking or throttling each 

 other. The instant an intruder is discovered, the 

 whole rise in the air in silence, and remove to the tops 

 of the trees in another part of the woods, while parties 

 of from eight to ten make occasional circuits over the 

 spot to see what is going on. When the young are 

 able, they climb to the highest part of the trees ; but, 

 knowing their inability, do not attempt to fly. Though 

 it is probable that these nocturnal birds do not see 

 well during the day, yet their faculty of hearing must 

 be exquisite, as it is almost impossible, with all the 

 precautions one can use, to penetrate near their resi- 

 dence without being discovered. Several species of 

 hawks hover around, making an occasional sweep 

 among the young ; and the bald eagle himself has been 

 seen reconnoitring near the spot, probably with the 

 same design. 



Contrary to the generally received opinion, the males 

 and females of these birds are so alike in rolour, as 

 scarcely to be distinguished from each other; both have 



