406 GREA T BL VE HER ON. 



COLOR. Adult. Above, and on sides, flanks, and under wings, bluish-ash, darkest on wings, ami palest on scapula- 

 ries. Top of head, white, with occiput, and sides below this, black. Nock, red(iish-;ish. streaked in the center with black 

 nnd white. Central portions below, black streaked on middle of belly with white. Under tail coverts, white. Tibia and 

 edge of wing, chestnut. Iris and bill, yellow. Legs, brown. Naked space about head, brownish-yellow. 



Vouny. Similar to the adult but paler and tinged with reddish; top of head lacks the white; throat, white, neck, ashy; 

 and there are no plumes. Iris, feet, and bill, brown, the latter yellow at base. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Florida specimens have the neck much lighter than more northern birds, thenpper portion of itbeing frequently quite 

 white. Readily known by the large size and colors as described, See succeeding species for further comparison. Dis- 

 tributed, in summer, from Hudson's Bay to Key West; wintering in the South. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 46'25, stretch, 73'OQ; wing, 19'50; tail, 

 7-50; bill, 5'50; tarsus, 7'25. Longest specimen, 48-00; greatest extent of wing, 75'60; longest wing, 20'00; tail, 8'00; bill, 

 G'OO; tarsus, 7'50. Shortest specimen, 44'50; smallest extent of wing, 70-50; shortest wing, 19'00; tail, 7'00; bill, 4'25; tar- 

 sus, 7-00. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in trees or bushes, composed of sticks, loosely arranged. Eyg*, two to four in number, varying from 

 elliptical to oval in form, greenish-blue in color, unspotted. Dimensions from 1-66x2 50 to I'80x2'83. 



HABITS. 



There are few birds which understand how to take care of themselves, better than the 

 Great Blue Herons, for there is scarcely an individual among them, which does not know, 

 to an inch, the range of a shot gun. They are very shy, even in Florida, where they are 

 extremely abundant, and where they spend their time, much as they do in the North, in 

 wandering singly, or in twos or threes, about the beaches and on the mud flats. They feed 

 upon fish, and a single blow from their powerful beak, is sufficient to kill a good sized 

 member of the finny tribes. When one of these birds is wounded and placed in a situa- 

 tion where it cannot use its long legs, it can wield this same weapon so dexterously, that 

 it will often cause a dog to retreat in discomfiture, and even a man is often, at a loss to 

 capture one living. These Herons are particularly pugnacious and one that I kept in con- 

 finement in Florida, was always ready for a quarrel, not only with me and my friends, but 

 wa.s also constantly trying to get at some beautiful White Herons, which I allowed to go 

 at large, in order that he might strike them. This bird would occasionally escape from 

 the inclosure in which he was kept, and would wander out to the neighboring beach, in 

 search of food. When I perceived that he was out, I would go in search of him, provided 

 with a long, slender stick. The Heron would carefully watch my approach, with head 

 drawn in, until I got quite near, when I would exclaim, "Go back! Go back!" and shake 

 the stick at him; then the bird would suddenly startup, and with wings half extended, run 

 rapidly to his cage, enter it, and creep into a barrel which I kept laid on its side for him to 

 rest in at night. This bird managed, after a time, to kill one out of three of my White 

 Herons, when I gave him his liberty. He lingered about the camp for a short time, but 

 finally disappeared . 



I found the Great Blue Herons breeding on an island in South Lake, in the interior 

 of Florida, late in February. The nests contained both fresh eggs and half-grown young, 

 with all stages between. Even at this early age, the more advanced young exhibited the 

 peculiar characteristics of which I have spoken, for they would leave the nests, walk over 

 the tree-tops, and endeavor to kill the helpless young of some White Herons that were 



