68 GREAT BLUE HERON. 



and not a Heron of any kind did I see or hear of in Newfoundland or 

 Labrador. Westward, I believe, it reaches to the very bases of the Rocky 

 Mountains. It is a hardy bird, and bears the extremes of temperature 

 surprisingly, being in its tribe Avhat the Passenger Pigeon is in the family 

 of Doves. During the coldest part of winter the Blue Heron is observed 

 in the State of Massachusetts and in Maine, spending its time in search 

 of prey about the warm springs and ponds which occur there in certain 

 districts. They are not rare in the Middle States, but more plentiful to 

 the west and south of Pennsylvania, which perhaps arises from the inces- 

 sant war waged against them. 



Extremely suspicious and shy, this bird is ever on the look-out. Its 

 sight is as acute as that of any falcon, and it can hear at a considerable 

 distance, so that it is enabled to mark with precision the different objects 

 it sees, and to judge with accuracy of the sounds which it hears. Unless 

 under very favourable circumstances, it is almost hopeless to attempt to 

 approach it. You may now and then surprise one feeding under the 

 bank of a deep creek or bayou, or obtain a shot as he passes unawares 

 over you on wing ; but to walk up towards one would be a fruitless ad- 

 venture. I have seen many so wary, that, on seeing a man at any distance 

 within half a mile, they would take to wing ; and the report of a gun 

 forces one off his grounds from a distance at which you would think he 

 could not be alarmed. When in close woods, however, and perched on 

 a tree, they can be approached with a good chance of success. 



The Blue Heron feeds at all hours of the day, as well as in the dark 

 and dawn, and even under night, when the weather is clear, his appetite 

 alone determining his actions in this respect ; but I am certain that when 

 distui-bed during dark nights it feels bewildered, and alights as soon as 

 possible. When passing from one part of the country to another at a dis- 

 tance, the case is different, and on such occasions they fly under night at 

 a considerable height above the trees, continuing their movements in a 

 regular manner. 



The commencement of the breeding season varies, according to the 

 latitude, from the beginning of March to the middle of June. In the Flo- 

 ridas it takes place about the first of these periods, in the Middle Dis- 

 tricts about the 15th of May, and in Maine a month later. It is at the 

 approach of this period only that these birds associate in pairs, they being 

 generally quite soUtary at all other times; nay, excepting during the 

 breeding season, each individual seems to secure for itself a certain dis- 



