AHr)KII).H - TflH lIKROVa - HKKODIAS. 



86 



l,.iki* MicluKim iiitil otlii't's of tht> l!U'K<'>' liikcs. Mr. Salviii foiiiul it coiuiiioii in C'fti- 

 trill Aiufi'ica, lM)tlM>n tlit> Athiiitic mid tlic I'lu-iHc coastM. It waH miich iiinro Nolitary 

 ill its liiiliits tliiiii tlir iiniiHiHsMimii. Mr. (r. ('. Taylor alsci met with it at TIkt" 

 Islaiiil, ill liiiinliiras, wlicic it was ui>t tmcommoii, It is an occasional visitant, l>oth 

 ill tlu> Hpi'iiiK ami in tlic tall, to licriaiida. I.cotaiid Hpeaks of it as a very coniUKm 

 species in Trinidad, where it was principally t'oiind on the lianks ol the sea, or of 

 rivers iiithieiiced liy the tiiles. It is said to jmiit lnr lish in the (hiytinie, and also to 

 iced on soft inollnsk.s. It reposes on tlu- liranidies of the nian^rove-trees in a state of 

 ciiiitiiuied iininoltility. It is fuuiiil usually siii^^ly, or not niort> than two or threu 

 toi,'cthcr. .Mthoni,'h very shy in its wild state, it is readily reconciled to ca|itivity. 

 Coiitiiied in a I'ourtyard or a K'l'dcn, it liecome.s a very attractive ornament. Tiie 

 lirilliunt wliitem's.H of its plumaj,'e, tiu* Kracefuliu>.ss of its movements, the elegance of 

 its Illumes, ami the di^jnity of its carriaK'f, comliine to make it very attractive. It will 

 watcii for a rat or a mouse with complete imnioliility, when suddenly, and with a 

 siirprisiiij,' rapidity of nutvement. it seizi'S its prey. It devours everything it meets 

 with, sparing,' neither insect nor reptile. If another of this si)e('it'H is put in the same 

 enclosure, a furious contest is sure to ensue, which not nnfrecpiently ends in the crip- 

 pling' of one ol the combatants. They strike furious lilows at each other with their 

 iicaks, hut these are usually warded off. In the struj,'j,'le they int«'rlace their feet ami 

 n iiii,'s. and not unfrc(picntly one of the wings gets hrokeii : this ends the contest. 



The Kgret is a resident of Trinidad, iireeds there, and never h-aves the island. It 

 is given liy Dr. (Jundlach as hreeding in Cuba, and l>y Mr. (io.sse and Mr. March as a 

 resident in .lamaiea; ami it is found in other \Ve.st India Islands. Mr. C. W. Wyatt 

 iiiciitioiis meeting with this species on the Lake of I'atnria, in Colombia, S. A. Dr. 

 iiurnicistcr records it as found everywhere throughout the La I'lata region in South 

 .\nierica. on the banks of the rivers and among the higoons, or aiuung the reeds in 

 niursliy ground from the iSanda Oriental as far as the Andes. Specimens were 

 taken by Dr. Cunningham (Ibis. ISdT) near Port Ordway. in the Straits of Magellan. 



During the summer this s]iecies straggles along our entire Atlantic coast, and even 

 into the interior. Mr. Hoarduum informs nie that it not only oeeasioiially is taken 

 in the neighborhood of Calais, but that individuals have been shot as far up the Way 

 of Fuiidy as Windsor, Nova Scotia. Several instances are on record of its having 

 been taken in Ma.s.sachusetts. Mr. Allen reports two taken near IIud.son by Mr. 

 .lillson in 1H()7 ; these were in immature pliuuage. Several others were seen at the 

 same tinu*. A male in full jilumage was taken at Ashland, in ^lay, several years 

 since, and another near Lynn by Mr. Vickary. Mr. II. A. I'urdie records the capture 

 of a line specimen in Westford in the summer of 1S73. In the summer of 1809 an 

 example of this species was shot on the ( )nion or Winooski Hiver, in Vermont. Though 

 rare in the interior, it is yet found in suitable localities. Professor Kundien informs 

 me that in the months of August and Septend)er it is to be seen every year, fishing 

 on the edge of Lake Koskonong, Wisconsin. New tJersey is the most northern point 

 on the Atlantic coast where it has been known to breed. On Long Island, according 

 to (iiraud, it is not a frequent visitor. Occasionally one may be seen, during the 

 suuuuer months, on the marshes or niea<lows, or wading about on the shoals in pursuit 

 of small tish, oji which it feeds, as well as frogs and lizards. The largest number 

 ever in sight at one time is five. These were seen on Coney Island, and were ex- 

 tremely shy and vigilant, eluding all attempts to secure them. In Wilson's time, or 

 about 1810, this Heron bred in considerable numbers in the extensive cedar-swamps 

 in the lower part of New Jersey, where their nests were built in societies on trees. 

 The young made their first appearance in the marshes in August, in parties of twenty 



VOL. I. — 4 



