GREEN HERON. 275 
close to houses, on the mill-dams, or even raising its brood on the trees 
of gardens. 'This is often the case in the suburbs of Charleston in South 
Carolina, where I have seen several nests on the same live oak in the 
grounds of the Honourable Joel Poinset, as well as in those of other 
cities of the Southern States. The gentleness, or as many would say, 
the stupidity of this bird is truly remarkable, for it will at times allow 
you to approach within a few paces, looking as unconcernedly upon 
you as the House Sparrow is wont to do in the streets of London. 
Although they not unfrequently breed in single pairs ; they also as- 
sociate, not only forming communities of their own kind, but ming- 
ling with the larger species of their tribe, and with the Boat-tailed 
Grakles, and other birds. On the 23d May 1831, I found two nests of 
the Green Heron on one of the Florida Keys, close to some of Ardea 
rufescens and A. cwrulea. Now and then a dozen or more of their nests 
are found on a bunch of vines in the middle of a pond, and placed with- 
in two or three feet of the water; while in other cases, they place their 
tenements on the highest branches of tall cypresses. In our Middle 
Districts, however, and especially at some distance from the sea, it is 
very seldom that more than a single nest is seen in one locality. 
The nest of the Green Heron, like that of almost every other spe- 
cies of the tribe, is flat and composed of sticks, loosely arranged, among 
which are sometimes green twigs with their leaves still attached. The 
eggs are three or four, seldom more, an inch and three-eighths in length, 
an inch and one-eighth in breadth, nearly equally rounded at both ends, 
and of a delicate sea-green colour. According to the locality, they 
are deposited from the middle of March to the beginning of June. In 
the Southern States, two broods are frequently reared, but in the 
Middle and Northern Districts, seldom more than one. 
The young, which are at first of a deep livid colour, sparingly co- 
vered here and there, and more especially about the head, with longish 
tufts of soft hair-like down, of a brownish colour, remain in the nest 
until nearly able to fly ; but if disturbed, at once leave their couch, and 
scramble along the branches, clinging to them with their feet, so as not 
to be easily drawn off. 
After the spring migration is over, the flight of this species is ra- 
ther feeble, and when they are passing from one spot to another, they 
frequently use a stronger flap of their wings at intervals. On such oc- 
casions, they scarcely contract their neck ; but when travelling to a con- 
