550 GREAT WHITE HERON. 



from the nest, and which, when well grown, was allowed to ramble along 

 the shores of Indian Key in quest of food. One of the wings had been 

 cut, and the bird was known to all the resident inhabitants, but was at 

 last shot by some Indian Hunter, who had gone there to dispose of a coL 

 lection of sea shells. 



Some of the Herons feed on the berries of certain trees during the 

 latter part of autumn and the beginning of winter. Dr B. B. Stuobel 

 observed the Night Heron eating those of the " Gobolimbo,"" late in Sep- 

 tember at Key West. 



Among the varied and contradictory descriptions of Herons, you will 

 find it alleged that these birds seize fish while on wing by plunging the 

 head and neck into the water ; but this seems to me extremely doubtful. 

 Nor, I believe, do they watch for their prey while perched on trees. Ano- 

 ther opinion is, that Herons are always thin, and unfit for food. This, 

 however, is by no means generally the case in America, and I have 

 thought these birds very good eating when not too old. 



Great White Heron, Ardea occidentalis. 



Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXI. 



Bill much longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering to a 

 point, the mandibles nearly equal, but the point of the upper consider- 

 ably extended beyond that of the lower. Upper mandible with the dor- 

 sal line nearly straight, the ridge broadly convex at the base, convex and 

 narrowed towards the end, a groove from the base to near the tip, beneath 

 which the sides are convex, the edges extremely thin and sharp, towards 

 the end broken into irregular serratures, the tip acute. Lower mandible 

 with the angle extremely narrow and elongated, the dorsal line beyond 

 it ascending and slightly curved, the ridge convex, the sides ascending 

 and slightly concave, the edges as in the upper, the tip acuminate. Nos- 

 trils basal, linear-oblong, longitudinal, with a membrane above and be- 

 hind. 



Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck extremely long, 

 slender. Body slender and compressed ; wings large. Feet very long ; 

 tibia elongated, its lower half bare, very slender, covered all round with 

 large elongated hexagonal scales ; tarsus long, thicker than the lower part 

 of the tibia, compressed, covered anteriorly with large scutella, excepting 



