334 GRALL.E. ARDEAD.E. 



FAM. ARDEADJ3. (The Herons.) 



COMMON GAULIN.* 

 Egretta nivea. MIHI. 



IT was on the 1st of August, the anniversary of 

 freedom to the slave, that I first met with this beauti- 

 ful bird. By a singular coincidence, Sam had been 

 just describing it to me, as a bird not yet obtained, 

 when, scarcely five minutes after, on going into the 

 yard, he instantly came running in, saying, " Here 

 is a Graulin, Sir !" I snatched up my gun and ran 

 out, and saw the snow-white bird sitting on a castor- 

 oil tree, just over the brook. I crept softly towards 

 it, but there being no concealment, it took alarm, 

 and flew before I could approach, and I lost it among 

 the woods. I determined, however, to seek it, and 

 bade my lad follow me. We had noted the direc- 

 tion which it had taken, and pursued it towards a 

 bend of the river. Before we had gone a hundred 

 yards through the bush, Sam sung out ; and there 

 was the bird wheeling round in the air close to us, 

 and in a moment it alighted on the topmost twig of 

 a low tree. I fired, nervous with expectation, and 

 the next instant the lovely bird was at my feet, with 



* Length 21 $ inches, expanse 35, flexure 9f, tail 3, rictus 3|, tar- 

 sus 4, middle toe 2-^. Irides pale straw-yellow ; feet, cheeks and orbits, 

 pale pea-green ; beak bluish-grey, tip black, gonys white. Plumage 

 snow-white ; tips of the first six primaries dashed with pale grey. 



