80 



AI/riU("lAL (iUALLATOKKS — IIKRODIONES. 



,^^- 



incliiding the West India Islands. Mexico, and Central America. It is also found 

 distril)uted throngli tlie interior as far north as ()ref,'on and the (treat Lakes. ;Mr. 

 Salvin found it (luite connnon on tiie Atlantic coast of Central America, and .states 

 that it also occasionally visited the Lake of Dnefias in the interior. When observed 

 it was usually in companies. On the coast of Honduras he visited one of the breed- 

 ing places of this si)ecies. l)Ut tlie nests were mostly deserted, as all the young birds 

 of tliose still inhabited were able to run along th(( branches and make their escape. 

 The nests were composed entirely of sticks, and jdaced near the end of a horizontal 

 bough. He also found this species abundiint on the Pacific coast of (Juatemala. It 

 occasionally visits lierniuda, both in the spring and in the fall. Leotaud speaks of 

 it as a very common, and once a very abundant, bird in Trinidad, where it frequents 

 the borders of the .sea and the vicinity of streams and marshes affected by the influ- 

 ences of the tides. Its habits are said to l»e very similar to those of the larger 

 egrrtta. Its n>unbers were rapidly diminishing, and it promised soon to become an 

 extinct species in that island. It is given by Dr. (Jundlach as an abundant s))eeies 

 in Cuba, where it is resident, and brecls in large communities. In flamaica, accord- 

 ing to (losse. it is not so common, and occiu's chiefly as a visitant in midwinter. 31 r. 

 ALarch mentions it as of frt'(|uent occurrence. Mr. C. W. AVyatt found it in Colom- 

 bia, S. A., on the borders of Lake I'aturia. Dr. lUirmeister found it througlumt the 

 region of the La Plata even nu)re numerous than the Jli'militm vr/rcffa, especially in 

 the more westerly jjortions. 



This species is found in the summer months as far to the northeast as Calais, Me., 

 and a fcAV straggle up the Hay of Fundy, even to the extreme eastern arm of that 

 bay at Windsor, X. S. .1. ^latthew .lones states that it has been recently (1<S()8) 

 captured on the sea-coast of that province, near Halifax. A specimen was taken at 

 Windsor, \. S., in the summer of 1X72. 



()n Long Island, according to (iiraud. it occurs during the summer months, but is 

 not abundant. Yet it is by no nu'ans unconunon, and is well known to nu)st of the 

 gunners. It is said to fre(pu>nt tlie salt marshes in small parties, and may be seen 

 wading about over the nuid-flats and sand-bars, or in the shallow w.ater, in search of 

 small crabs, lizards, and worms, which, with sevei'al species of aquatic jdants, con- 

 stitute its principal food. The Snowy Heron always feeds by day ; and when wading 

 about in search of its favorite food, or while making short excnraions, it is rendered 

 so conspicuous by the snowy whiteness of its jdumage, that it seldom parses unolv 

 served by the gunners. It visits Long Island late in the spring, and may be seen on 

 the salt marshes until late in the autumn, though it usually migrates southwards in 

 the last of September. It is not positively known to breed on any part of Long 

 Island. 



In August, 18G3, Mr. Dresser saw large flocks of this Heron visiting the lagoons 

 near JLatamoras, in such large lunnbers that on one occasion he killed thirteen at one 

 discharge. In the spring of 1804 he noticed several near San Antonio, and found a 

 few breeding on (ialveston Island in June, and received one from Fort Stockton. 



Dr. Cooper speaks of it as common, at all seasons, along the southern coast of Cali- 

 fornia. In summer it migrates to the summits of the Sierra Nevada, to Lake Tahoe, 

 and probably throughout California and Oregon. He has always found it very shy, 

 more so even than the larger white one. Abo\it the end of April it migrates to some 

 extent from the southern parts of the State in large flocks, but he has met with it in 

 July near San Pedro, when he supposed that it was nesting in the mountains, or 

 some other retired places, in the vicinity. 



About the middle of May, Wilson visited an extensive breeding place of this Heron 



auioii}. 

 shelter 

 water 

 to rend 

 four nt 

 1,' inc 



