GREAT WHITE HERON. 545 



hanging mangroves of a large key, where we had observed the Herons 

 retiring to roost the previous evening. There we lay quietly until day- 

 break. But the mosquitoes and sandflies ! Reader, if you have not been 

 in such a place, you cannot easily conceive the torments we endured for a 

 whole hour, when it was absolutely necessary for us to remain perfectly 

 motionless. At length day dawned, and the boats parted, to meet on the 

 other side of the key. Slowly and silently each advanced. A Heron 

 sprung from its perch almost directly over our heads. Three barrels were 

 discharged, — in vain ; the bird flew on unscathed ; the pilot and I had 

 probably been too anxious. As the bird sped away, it croaked loudly, 

 and the noise, together with the report of our guns, roused some hun- 

 dreds of these Herons, which flew from the mangroves, and in the grey 

 light appeared to sail over and around us like so many spectres. I almost 

 despaired of procuring any more. The tide was now rising, and when we 

 met with the other boat we were told, that if we had waited until we 

 could have shot at them while perched, we might have killed several ; but 

 that now we must remain until full tide, for the birds had gone to their 

 feeding grounds. 



The boats parted again, and it was now arranged that whenever a 

 Heron was killed, another shot should be fired exactly one minute after, by 

 which each party would be made aware of the success of the other. Mr 

 Egak, pointing to a nest on which stood two small young birds, desired 

 to be landed near it. I proceeded into a narrow bayou, where we re- 

 mained quiet for about half an hour, when a Heron flew over us and was 

 shot. It was a very fine old male. Before firing my signal shot, I heard 

 a report from afar, and a little after mine was discharged I heard another 

 shot, so I felt assured that two birds had been kiUed. When I reached 

 the Captain's boat I found that he had in fact obtained two ; but Mr Egan 

 had waited two hoiu-s in vain near the nest, for none of the old birds came 

 up. We took him from his hiding place, and brought the Herons along 

 with us. It was now nearly high water. About a mile from us, more 

 than a hundred Herons stood on a mud-bar up to their bellies. The pilot 

 said that now was our best chance, as the tide would soon force them to 

 fly, when they would come to rest on the trees. So we divided, each 

 choosing his own place, and I went to the lowest end of the key, where it 

 was separated from another by a channel. I soon had the pleasure of ob- 

 serving all the Herons take to wing, one after another, in quick succes- 

 sion. I then heard my companions' guns, but no signal of success. Ob- 

 VOL. III. ' M m 



