NIGHT HERON. 601 



often swallowing large bull-frogs at once, and devouring a number at 

 a single meal ; but after a month's time, the only one which survived 

 so long lost the greater part of its greediness. They were not all par- 

 ticular as to their food, devouring anything of an animal nature that 

 was given to them, frogs, fish, flesh, liver, snakes, &c. The last-men- 

 tioned article of food was only once given to them, for although readily 

 eaten, it proved fatal to two of them, and nearly so to the third. What 

 made this result the more unexpected was, that the snake was the com- 

 mon and apparently innoxious Striped Snake. Although this Heron has 

 never been regarded as possessing any great share of sagacity, the sur- 

 viving bird certainly evinced, on many occasions, what seemed nearer to 

 reason than instinct. I have seen him, on perceiving a cat approach 

 his roost, hide himself until she came near enough, when he would all 

 at once start up, and extending his throat to its fullest capacity, utter 

 one of the most frightful cries, apparently enjoying puss's alarm and 

 flight in the highest degree. Whenever attacked by any of the poultry, 

 he never manifested the least alarm, but waited their onset with the 

 greatest composure, knowing that he had only to open his mouth and 

 remonstrate, with one of his discordant quaks, to insure their speedy re- 

 treat. He was always very methodical in his movements, and also ap- 

 peared to possess a very tenacious memory as regarded some matters ; 

 for, in the course of the summer our pond becoming dry, it became ne- 

 cessary to remove him to another ; but, whenever an opportunity pre- 

 sented, he did not fail to manifest his love of localities, by returning to 

 his accustomed haunts. Whenever I found him there, I used to draw 

 him back, and he would never fail to take precisely the same path, 

 which was none of the most direct, as he did the first time. Thus, for 

 instance, there was a cart in the way on the first occasion, and it was 

 necessary for him to go round it. It had been removed the second 

 time, and yet, on coming to where it had been, he would take a circui- 

 tous route, as if it still stood there. A pile of stones lay in his path, 

 which he had to jump over, and although they were removed in the 

 course of the summer, yet, on coming to where they had been, he would 

 stop, look around, and then give a jump, as if some obstacle were really 

 in the way. In this, however, he certainly shewed more method than 

 reasoning. As the month of October was passing away, he began to 

 , manifest great uneasiness, evidently shewing that the promptings of 



