1878.] The Night Herons, and their Exodus. 3E 
joined their companions inthe air. As the youth neared the nest 
the wild monotonous cry became painful.to me, and I was anxious 
to shorten the suspense of the poor birds. Clinging to the tree 
with both legs and one arm, with the free hand he took a young 
bird out of the nest, and held it at arm’s length from the tree, 
that I might see the callow thing, which was about as big as a 
fat squab. I saw it—yes, and I saw more than I looked 
for. The downy little beast vomited upon me the topmost layer 
of his night’s feeding. And even my philosophy sold me, for 
concluding that the mischief was done, I stood my ground, but 
- the mischief was only begun; for after an extraordinary pause, 
layer number two, in a more advanced stage of digestion descended, 
which in a hurried manner I declined to receive. After another 
pause, the third and last installment followed. We now called to: 
the young man to put the unmannerly little thing back in the 
nest. - It had thrown up the remains of six fishes. 
The above incident was called “a sell,” and subjected the writer 
to some chaffing at a later date. Said a wag, as if in quest of 
knowledge—“ Why does a young qua-bird vomit his dinner upon 
being disturbed” ? To this the answer was: “I do not get it from 
observation, but have it from tradition, that some of the herons 
when pursued by the raptors, keep up a series of diversions by 
vomiting the contents of their stomachs in installments, much as 
the Russian dispenses the contents of his sleigh when pursued by 
wolves.” Now what the young heron did, was done from mere 
instinct—not offensively, subjectively considered, although object- 
ively it was offensive enough—but as a protection by way of 
diversion. That is, the young bird acted wholly from an auto- 
matic impulse of instinct. And what is instinct but inherited 
experience after being crystallized into habit? In a word, the 
frightened young quawk, simply did in a blind way what its ances- 
tors had done with better methods. If there had been enough 
_ intelligence in that instinctive act to indicate purpose, then the 
intention would have been as against the youth who held it as a 
captive, and not at all as against the spectator of the act. 
Although they indulge in varied food, yet these night herons 
are nocturnal fishers, and their fishing must be limited to the 
2s margins of streams, and in waters decidedly shallow. They sally — 
a out at twilight, though sometimes if the day is cloudy and dull, 
they will not wait till then. As they pass near, and sometimes : 
over the farm houses, on their way for food, they indulge in their ae 
