MthKlD.K- Till': IIKHONH NYCTIIKHOFHIS. 



t)5 



son tiUxU'n that it is iiliumliiiit, utul that it hr 1h iiitiio Itfrniuilas ; liut in thin ho was 



iiiisint'<ii'iii)'<l. .Major Wt'ililfriiuni luitcs it as imlv nl' rare and iMcasinnal ix-curn'nc*' 

 ilii ri', ami <>i>lv iix'iitiniis tiinc iiistaiici's as roniin^' svithiii his kiiowh-dgt* : two of 

 llic hii'iis well' kiili-d in Apiil, iml nnt' in S('|itcndi<'i'. 



WilHoii statrs that a Hpccinn'ii was shot un the SciinN lliill, in-ar I'hihuh'lphia, and 

 that it l'it'<iiii'ntly rxtcnds its nii;,'iations into N'irninia. He lonnd it inhaliitin^c tin- 

 lowi'i' parts of South Carolina, (icori^ia, and l.onisiana in tin* sninnn-r si-ason, ri'iiosin^ 

 ihirinj,' the day anions hiw swanijiy woods, and Iccdin^' only at ni^'ht. It Imilds in 

 NH'iftiis. making iM'st.s of stitks in tin' Itranrhcs of low tri't-s. It was not nunn'i'oiiM, 

 iiid its siditary nioilc of life was the causf (d' its I'fin^; little known. It apiM-an-d 

 til iiavf a stroll},' attatlnuiMit for the vicinity of tin- oiran, ami tu ftril ou tish, crahs, 

 and lizards — |irinfi|ially the former. 



.VudiilHUi rennirks that it is wholly ini;,'ratory within the I'liiti'd States, arriving 

 only about the end td' Manh, and leaving; in the middle id' Oetoher. In some parts 

 lit the Southern States it is saiil to he (|uite ahum. ant, while in others it is rarely 

 mi't with. In some portions of i'Morida it hreeds in ^M'eat niindters. On hi.s vi.sit to 

 i'l'xas he saw a few id this speeies on an island in ISaie I'danehe, and a^^ain oiilialves- 

 tiiii Ishind, where it was plentiful. <»ii the .Mississippi it is rare ahove Nati he/, hut a 

 few strajjjile farther u|i the river. He does not re^jard it as entirely iioeturnal, as 

 he has seen it seanhin}; lor inod at all hours of the day; and while at (ialveston lie 

 has freipiently .seen a lar^^e Ihnk similarly oeiupied. It is prolialde that this only 

 ociurs when the hird is ieedini< its yoiiii};. I have iiotiied the same exeeptional lon- 

 ihii-t 1>y day on the part of the Ni};ht Heron, at the Hiune .sea.son, when it loails itself 

 witli a supply for its youn,!,'. feedin^f them liy re},'ur},'itatiiit,' the eonteiits of its },'ullet. 



.Mr. AudiilMin satisfied himself that this hird performs its mi},'ratory movements 

 in the ni},'ht, haviii;,' seen it eome down from a height in the air, after sunris*', for 

 list and food. Its Hi},dit is slow and less protraeted than that of the Night Heron. 

 When surprised on its pereh. it ri.ses perpeiidiiiilarly a short distaiiee and flies otT in 

 a stiaigiit line. When on the ground, it is less elegant in its movements than most 

 III tlie otiier Herons. Its paee is less sedate, its movements in seizing its prey less 

 rapid, and it feeds more in the manner of the domestie fowl. Its food is very varied, 

 lunsistiiig of snails, fish, small snakes, erahs. erays. lizards, leeehes, small i|uailru- 

 pcils. young bird.s, etc. lie adds that one whiih had heen killed hy Mr. Kchvard 

 Harris, on the islaml »>f Terre IMainhe, aliout four o'eloek in the afternoon, when 

 opened the ni'.\t morning was found to have swallowed a young terrapin, and that 

 tiiis was still alive when liherated. The nest of this Heron is plaeed in either a 

 liigli or low situation, aeeording to the nature of the phuu' seleeted for its breed- 

 iiig-giiiund. In the interior of sw.impy woods nests were found on the tops of the 

 loftiest lypresses, as well as on low Irishes, hut not so close together as with other 

 lIiMoiis; in the Florida Keys they were seen either ou the to])S of tlu' mangroves 

 or on their lower hraiiehes. just ahove the water. In the Carolinas this iiird builds 

 ■111 low hushes on the edge of swamps, the nest being, like that of the other Herons, 

 foriiied of dry sticks loosely put together, lined with a few weeds and fibrous roots. 

 The eggs are three in numlM'r. and never more. The young do not remain in the nest 

 until alile to fly, but even leave the tree or bush to follow their parents to the shore. 

 Wlien alarnu'd, they can scramble off with conshlerable agility and hide. This bird 

 lireeds in Florida six weeks sooner than in South (larolina, two broods U'lng usually 

 raised in both sections. The slender pliunes on the back of the head oomiuonly fall 

 otf after incubation has commenced. When wounded, it defends itself vigorously 

 with its claws and bill, and can inflict severe scratches. 



vol,. I. — a 



