318 SNOWY HERON. 



manner. They keep perfectly silent, and move at a height seldom ex- 

 ceeding a hundred yards. Their flight is light, undetermined as it were, 

 yet well sustained, and performed by regular flappings, as in other birds 

 of the tribe. When they have arrived at their destination, they often go 

 to considerable distances to feed during the day, regularly returning at 

 the approach of night to their roosts on the low trees and bushes border- 

 ing the marshes, swamps, and ponds. They are very gentle at this sea- 

 son, and at all periods keep in flocks when not disturbed. At the ap- 

 proach of the breeding season, many spend a great part of the day at their 

 roosting places, perched on the low trees principally growing in the water, 

 when every now and then they utter a rough guttural sort of sigh, raising 

 at the same moment their beautiful crest and loose recurved plumes, curv- 

 ing the neck, and rising on their legs to their full height, as if about to 

 strut on the branches. They act in the same manner while on the ground 

 mating. Then the male, with great ardour, and with the most graceful 

 motions, passes and repasses for several minutes at a time before and around 

 the female, whose actions are similar, although she displays less ardour. 

 When disturbed on such occasions, they rise high in the air, sail about 

 and over the spot in perfect silence, awaiting the departure of the intruder, 

 then sweep along, exhibiting the most singular movements, now and then 

 tumbling over and over like the Tumbler Pigeon, and at length alight on 

 a tree. On the contrary, when you intrude upon them whUe breeding, 

 they rise silently on wing, alight on the trees near, and remain there until 

 you depart. 



The Snowy Herons breed in large communities ; and so very social 

 are they, that they do not appear even to attempt to disturb such other 

 birds as are wont to breed among them, the Night Herons, for instance, 

 the Green Herons, or the Boat-tailed Grakles. I have visited some of their 

 breeding grounds, where several hundred pairs were to be seen, and seve- 

 ral nests were placed on the branches of the same bush, so low at times 

 that I could easily see into them, although others were situated at a height 

 of ten or fifteen feet. In places where these birds are often disturbed, 

 they breed in taller trees, though rarely on very high ones. In the Flo- 

 ridas I found their nests on low mangroves ; but wherever they are placed 

 you find them fronting the water, over which, indeed, these Herons seem 

 fond of placing them. The nest, which is formed of dry sticks, is rather 

 small, and has a shallow cavity. The eggs are three, one inch and five- 

 eighths and a half in length, one and a quarter across, of a broadly ellip- 



