164 THE SNOWY HERON. 



ed, and performed by regular flappings, as in other birds of the tribe. When 

 they have arrived at their destination, they often go to considerable distances 

 to feed during the day, regularly returning at the approach of night to their 

 roosts on the low trees and bushes bordering the marshes, swamps, and 

 ponds. They are very gentle at this season, and at all periods keep in flocks 

 when not disturbed. At the approach of the breeding season, many spend 

 a great part of the day at their roosting places, perched on the low trees 

 principally growing in the water, when every now and then they utter a 

 rough guttural sort of sigh, raising at the same moment their beautiful crest 

 and loose recurved plumes, curving the neck, and rising on their legs to 

 their full height, as if about to strut on the branches. They act in the same 

 manner while on the ground mating. Then the male, with great ardour, 

 and with the most graceful motions, passes and repasses for several minutes 

 at a time before and around the female, whose actions are similar, although 

 she displays less ardour. When disturbed on such occasions, they rise high 

 in the air, sail about and over the spot in perfect silence, awaiting the 

 departure of the intruder, then sweep along, exhibiting the most singular 

 movements, now and then tumbling over and over like the Tumbler Pigeon, 

 and at length alight on a tree. On the contrary, when you intrude upon 

 them while breeding, they rise silently on wing, alight on the trees near, 

 and remain there until you depart. 



The Snowy Herons breed in large communities; and so very social are 

 they, that they do not appear even to attempt to disturb such other birds as 

 are wont to breed among them, the Night Herons, for instance, the Green 

 Herons, or the Boat-tailed Grakles. I have visited some of their breeding 

 grounds, where several hundred pairs were to be seen, and several nests 

 were placed on the branches of the same bush, as low at times that I could 

 easily see into them, although others were situated at a height of ten or 

 fifteen feet. In places where these birds are often disturbed, they breed in 

 taller trees, though rarely on very high ones. In the Floridas I found their 

 nests on low mangroves; but wherever they are placed you find them front- 

 ing the water, over which, indeed, these Herons seem fond of placing them. 

 The nest, which is formed of dry sticks, is rather small, and has a shallow 

 cavity. The eggs are three, one inch and five-eighths and a half in length, 

 one and a quarter across, of a broadly elliptical form, and having a plain 

 pale bluish-green colour. In the Middle Districts, the usual time of laying 

 is about the middle of May; in the Carolinas a month sooner; and in the 

 Floridas still earlier, as there, on the 19th of May, I found the young in 

 great numbers walking off their nests on the mangrove branches, and, like 

 those of the Louisiana Heron, which also breeds in the same places, trying 

 to escape by falling into the water below, and swimming in search of hiding- 



