REDDISH EGRET. 413 



well on the larger branches. It rarely feeds from the edges of the water, 

 but resorts to the shallows of the extensive mud or sand flats, so nume- 

 rous about the keys. There, twenty or thirty, sometimes so many as a 

 hundred, may be seen wading up to the heel (or knee-joint as it is usually 

 called) in pursuit of prey, or standing in silence awaiting the approach 

 of an animal on which it feeds, when it strikes it, and immediately swal- 

 lows it, if not too large ; but if so, it carries it to the shore, beats it, and 

 tears it to pieces, rarely, however, using its feet for that purpose, and cer- 

 tainly never employing its pectinated claws, which no Heron that I know 

 ever uses for any other object than that of scratching its head, or per- 

 haps of securing its steps on rocky bottoms. jThese birds remain on 

 the flats thus employed, until the advance of the tide forces them to the 

 land. 



The flight of this Heron is more elevated and regular than that of 

 the smaller species. During the love season, it is peculiarly graceful and 

 elegant, especially when one unmated male is pursuing another, a female 

 being in sight. They pass through the air with celerity, turn and cut 

 about in curious curves and zigzags, the stronger bird frequently erecting 

 its beautiful crest, and uttering its note, at the moment when it expects 

 to give its rival a thrust. When these aerial combats take place between 

 old and immature birds, their different colours form a striking contrast, 

 extremely pleasing to the beholder. While travelling to and from their 

 feeding grounds, or from one key to another, they propel themselves by 

 easy, well-sustained, and regular flappings of their extended wings, the 

 neck reposing on the shoulders, the legs stretched out behind like a rud- 

 der, while their beautiful thready trains float in the breeze. On ap- 

 proaching a landing place, they seldom fail to perform a few circumvolu- 

 tions, in order to see that all around is quiet, for ihey are more shy and 

 wary than the smaller Herons, and almost as suspicious as the two larger 

 species, Ardea occidentalis, and A. Herodias ; and this becomes apparent 

 as soon as they discontinue the feeding of their young, when you find it 

 extremely difficult to approach them. After this period I rarely shot one, 

 unless I happened to come upon it unawares, or while it was passing over 

 me when among the mangroves. 



About the beginning of April, these Herons begin to pair. The 

 males chase each other on the ground, as well as in the air, and on re- 

 turning to their chosen females' erect their crest and plumes, swell out 

 their necks, pass and repass before them, and emit hollow rough sounds, 



