136 ardeiDjE. 



attitudes to secure their prey ; and some of the main flock occa- 

 sionally gave sign of life by stretching out their necks to see that 

 all was safe. At the same season of the two following years, this 

 habit of the herons was noticed, — the congregated numbers being- 

 then increased to fifty, and subsequently to sixty. Apparently 

 through laziness to take wing, herons often allow the flowing tide 

 to wet their plumage considerably before they take to flight. 

 During keen frost, on the 23rd January 1839, when the beach on 

 which they stood was hard frozen, I observed numbers of them, at 

 the edge of the in-coming tide, allow fully the third of their plu- 

 mage, in a line with the highest exposed part of the tibiae, to be 

 wetted, the entire "legs and thighs" being at the time concealed 

 from view. On this occasion, however, the mud-banks being 

 hard-frozen, and the air very cold, the flowing tide would have 

 warmed them. In the midst of the breeding season only, are 

 herons, as well as birds generally, scarce in the bay. It then 

 appears quite deserted, no more than one or two herons, perhaps, 

 being visible within the range of a mile. Soon after that season 

 they again make their appearance in numbers. On the 9th of 

 August 1845 I reckoned fifty-two in a -close flock when the tide 

 was a considerable way out, and a great extent of banks was laid 

 bare for them. .From where they were stationed, to the distance 

 of a mile, not another heron appeared ; but there, nearly a dozen 

 were congregated in a compact body. Old birds as well as 

 young were of both parties. A similar note, with respect to num- 

 bers and the sociability of the species, was made in Aug". 1847. 

 It is very interesting to observe the good fellowship subsisting 

 among various species of Grallatores, by their associating together ; 

 but still more so to remark the gregarious habits of birds of dif- 

 ferent orders. I have seen herons — be the reason what it may — 

 when looking out for places to alight, on an extensive range of 

 beach, either select the immediate vicinity of flocks of gulls, or 

 " pitch" in the midst of a flock without disturbing any of them. 

 The scene of the operations here detailed, comprises about two 

 miles in extent on either side of the bay. 



The preceding notes may be considered too minute ; but they 



