92 GREAT BLUE HERON. 



found in its stomach. Aquatic insects are equally welcome to it, and it 

 is an expert flycatcher, striking at moths, butterflies, and libellulas, whe- 

 ther on the wing or when alighted. It destroys a great number of young 

 Marsh-Hens, Rails, and other birds ; but I never saw one catch a fiddler or 

 a crab ; and the only seeds that I have found in its stomach were those 

 of the great water-lily of the Southern States. It always strikes its prey 

 through the body, and as near the head as possible. When the animal is 

 strong and active, it kills it by beating it against the ground or a rock, 

 after which it swallows it entire. While on the St John's River in East 

 Florida, I shot one of these birds, and on opening it on board, found 

 in its stomach a fine perch quite fresh, but of which the head had been 

 cut off. The fish, when cooked, I found excellent, as did Lieutenant 

 PiEiiCY and my assistant Mr Ward, but Mr Leehman would not so 

 much as taste it. When on a visit to my friend John Bulow, I was in- 

 formed 'by him, that although he had several times imported gold fishes, 

 from New York, with the view of breeding them in a pond, through 

 which ran a fine streamlet, and which was surrounded by a wall, they 

 all disappeared in a few days after they were let loose. Suspecting the 

 Heron to be the depredator, I desired him to watch the place carefully 

 with a gun ; which was done, and the result was, that he shot a superb 

 specimen of the present species, in which was found the last gold fish that 

 remained. 



In the wild state it never, I believe, eats dead fish of any sort, or in- 

 deed any other food than that killed by itself. Now and then it strikes 

 at a fish so large and strong as to endanger its own life ; and I once saw 

 one on the Florida coast, that, after striking a fish, when standing in the 

 water to the full length of its legs, was dragged along for several yards, 

 now on the surface, and again beneath. When, after a severe struggle, 

 the Heron disengaged itself, it appeared quite overcome, and stood still 

 near the shore, his head turned from the sea, as if afraid to try another 

 such experiment. The number of fishes, measuring five or six inches, 

 which one of these birds devours in a day, is surprising : Some which I 

 kept on board the Marion would swallow, in the space of half an hour, 

 a bucketful of young mullets ; and when fed on the flesh of green turtles, 

 they would eat several pounds at a meal. I have no doubt that, in fa- 

 vourable circumstances, one of them could devour several hundreds of 

 small fishes in a day. A Heron that was caught alive on one of the Flo- 

 rida keys, near Key West, looked so emaciated when it came on board^ 



