HERONS 75 



the coast) "long torn." Specimens are lacking to determine 

 the exact limits of the two races, and the northern bird 

 (kerodias) may occur in the State only as a migrant. All 

 records from the extreme northern part, however, are pro- 

 visionally referred to this form. In winter herodias ranges 

 south to the coast marshes. 



Specimens of this race have been examined from Castle- 

 berry, November 10 and 18 (1911) ; Grand Bay, November 

 16 (1915) ; Nigger Lake, November 30 (1915) ; and Duckers 

 Bay, December 2 (1915). These undoubtedly were migrants 

 from the north, since the breeding form in the coast marshes 

 is wardi. In this region the species is more numerous than 

 elsewhere in the State and about equally common in winter 

 and summer. Single birds were seen at Florence, May 4, 

 1912; Stevenson, July 15, 1911; and Guntersville, June 17, 

 1913. Three were seen at Muscle Shoals, July 1, 1913, and 

 several more in November, 1915. McCormack records the 

 species as a tolerably common resident at Leighton, most often 

 seen during the summer months. 



General habits. — This heron is found chiefly about marshes, 

 lakes, and the larger water courses. It is at all times ex- 

 tremely wary and is rarely surprised at close quarters unless 

 the hunter is well concealed. Its flight is steady and power- 

 ful, often at a considerable height, or again just over the 

 marshes, the long neck folded back and the legs stretched out 

 behind. Although nesting usually in colonies, these herons 

 feed mainly singly or in pairs. They feed both by day and 

 night. Their long legs enable them to wade in deep water 

 in search of their prey, which they transfix with a lightning- 

 like thrust of the powerful beak. Their note is a harsh and 

 discordant squawk, often several times repeated. McCormack 

 writes of the breeding of this bird as follows : 



About half a mile below Bainbridge Ferry, in the Ten- 

 nessee River, and about nine miles from this place, is a small 

 island known as Crane Island where, as I was informed by an 

 old fisherman, a few "cranes" have nested every spring for the 

 past twenty years, and probably for a much longer time than 

 that. He said the nests are inaccessible, being placed in tall 

 sycamore trees, sometimes as many as fifteen in the same tree.* 



•McCormack, F. W., Leighton (Ala.) News, vol. 2, No. 6, March 14, 1891. 



