84 Bird Life Stories 



Atlantic Coast it is not uncommon in the country west of the 

 Alleghany Mountains. , I have found it in every State in which 

 I have traveled, as well as in all our territories. It is well 

 known from Louisiana to Maine, but seldom occurs farther 

 east than Prince Edward Island, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 

 and not a Heron of any kind did I see or hear of in New- 

 foundland or Labrador. Westward I believe it reaches to the 

 very base of the Rocky Mountains. 



It is a hardy bird and bears the extremes of temperature 

 surprisingly, being in its tribe what the Passenger Pigeon is in 

 the family of Doves. It is not rare in the middle States, 

 though more plentiful to the west and south of Pennsylvania. 



Extremely suspicious and shy, this bird is ever on the 

 lookout. Its sight is as acute as that of any Falcon, and it 

 can hear at a considerable distance, so that it is enabled to 

 mark with precision different objects it sees, and to judge with 

 accuracy of the sounds which it hears. Unless under very 

 favorable circumstances it . is almost hopeless to attempt to 

 approach it. I have seen many so wary that on seeing a man 

 at the distance of half a mile they would take to wing, and 

 the report of a gun forces one off his grounds from a distance 

 at which you would think he could not be alarmed. 



The Blue Heron feeds at all hours of the day, as well as in 

 the dusk and dawn and even at night when the weather is 

 clear, his appetite alone determining his actions in this 

 respect; but I am certain that when disturbed during dark 

 nights it feels bewildered and alights as soon as possible. 

 When passing from one part of the country to another at a 

 distance the case is different, and on such occasions they fly at 

 night high above the trees, continuing their movements in 

 a regular manner. 



The commencement of the nesting season of the Great 



