138 LOUISIANA HERON. 



is such that you are sure to find them there during the whole period of 

 their stay in the country, excepting the breeding time. At the cry of a 

 wounded one, they assail you in the manner of some Gulls and Terns, 

 and may be shot in great numbers by any person fond of such sport. 



On the £9th of April, while wading around a beautiful key of the 

 rioridas, in search of certain crustaceous animals called the sea Cray-fish, 

 my party and I suddenly came upon one of the breeding places of the 

 Louisiana Heron. The southern exposures of this lovely island were 

 overgrown with low trees and bushes matted together by thousands of 

 smilaxes and other creeping plants, supported by various species of cac- 

 tus. Among the branches some hundred pairs of these lovely birds had 

 placed their nests, which were so low and so close to each other, that 

 without moving a step one could put his hand into several. The birds 

 thus taken by surprise rose affrighted into the air, bitterly complaining 

 of being disturbed in their secluded retreat. The nests were formed of 

 small dried sticks crossing each other in various ways. They were flat, 

 had little lining, and each contained three eggs, all the birds being then 

 incubating. Observing that many eggs had been destroyed by the Crows 

 and Buzzards, as the shells were scattered on the ground, I concluded 

 that many of the Herons had laid more than once, to make up their full 

 complement of eggs ; for my opinion is, that all our species, excepting 

 the Green Heron, never lay more nor less than three, unless an accident 

 should happen. The eggs of the Louisiana Heron measure one inch 

 and six and a half twelfths in length, an inch and a quarter in breadth ; 

 they are nearly elliptical, of a beautiful pale blue colour inclining to green, 

 smooth, and with a very thin shell. The period of incubation is twenty- 

 one days. Like all other species of the genus, this raises only one brood 

 in the season. The little island of which I have spoken lies exposed to 

 the sea, and has an extent of only a few acres. The trees or bushes with 

 which it was covered seemed to have been stunted by the effect produced 

 by their having been for years the receptacles of the Herons' nests. 



On the 19th May, in the same year, I found another breeding place 

 of this species not far from Key West. The young birds, which stood 

 on all the branches of the trees and bushes on the southern side of the 

 place, were about the size of our Little Partridge. Their notes, by which 

 we had been attracted to the spot, were extremely plaintive, and resembled 

 the syllables zciee, w'lee, idee. When we went up to them, the old birds 

 all flew to another key, as if intent on drawing us there ; but in vain, for 



