THE PIGEONS, GROUSE, AND SHORE-BIRDS. 237 



The Bittern, or Stake-driver, is common throughout the 

 country. It is a solitary bird, inhabiting weedy marshes, but 

 known by its peculiar cry. During the day it hides' among 

 the tall grass and reeds, picking up a grasshopper or a beetle, 

 or perchance a young mouse now and then. Towards even- 

 ing it seeks the water and partakes of its regular meal, which 

 consists principally of small frogs and fish. 



The Great Blue Heron, the largest of its tribe in America, 

 is well known in all quarters. Its tall and awkward form is 

 often seen on the borders of ponds and streams, when it moves 

 with a stealthy tread, on a combined watch for food and 

 enemies. It lives principally upon fish and frogs, but readily 

 devours grasshoppers, dragon-flies, water-boatmen, seeds, and 

 even meadow-mice. Small pickerel, which like to bask in the 

 sunshine in shallow water, are destroyed in great numbers by 

 this heron. 



The Green Heron is another widely diffused species. It is 

 the common small heron found beside brooks and in muddy 

 places at or near water margins. Being small, its diet is re- 

 stricted to worms, insects and their larvae, tadpoles, small fish, 

 and frogs. 



The Great White Egret is found in the Southern States, but 

 in much smaller numbers than formerly. This egret, in com- 

 mon with several smaller species, has for years been the object 

 of unremitting persecution by plume-hunters. As the coveted 

 plumes appear only at the nuptial season, they are easily pro- 

 cured by visiting the heronries when the egrets assemble in 

 great numbers to breed. One man has been known to kill 

 several hundred old birds in a day, leaving the young to starve 

 and the dead bodies to rot after a few choice feathers have 

 been plucked. Egret-plumes are worn by certain dressy organ- 

 ized bodies of men, military and otherwise, and by ladies. 

 Much has been said and written of late against wearing feathers 

 of wild birds, and it is to be hoped that the tide of popular 

 sentiment may be turned against the practice before such 



