102 



NIGHT HERON 



memorial, by from eighty to one hundred pair of Qua-birds. In 

 places where the cedars have been cut down for sale, the birds have 

 merely removed to another quarter of the swamp; but when per- 

 sonally attacked, long teased and plundered, they have been known 

 to remove from an ancient breeding place, in a body, no one knew 

 where. Such was the case with one on the Delaware, near Thomp- 

 son's point, ten or twelve miles below Philadelphia ; which having 

 been repeatedly attacked and plundered by a body of Crows, after 

 many severe rencontres the Herons finally abandoned the place. 

 Several of these breeding places occur among the red cedars on 

 the sea beach of Cape May, intermixed with those of the Little 

 Egret, Green Bittern, and Blue Heron. The nests are built en- 

 tirely of sticks, in considerable quantities, with frequently three 

 and four nests on the same tree. The eggs are generally four in 

 number, measuring two inches and a quarter in length, by one 

 and three quarters in thickness, and of a very pale light blue co- 

 lor. The ground or marsh below is bespattered with their excre- 

 ments lying all around like whitewash, with feathers, broken egg 

 shells, old nests, and frequently small fish, which they have dropt 

 by accident and neglected to pick up. 



On entering the swamp in the neighbourhood of one of these 

 breeding places, the noise of the old and the young would almost in- 

 duce one to suppose that two or three hundred Indians were choking 

 or throttling each other. The instant an intruder is discovered, 

 the whole rise in the air in silence, and remove to the tops of the 

 trees in another part of the woods ; while parties of from eight to 

 ten make occasional circuits over the spot to see what is going on. 

 When the young are able they climb to the highest part of the 

 trees ; but, knowing their inability, do not attempt to fly. Tho it 

 is probable that these nocturnal birds do not see well during the 

 day, yet their faculty of hearing must be exquisite, as it is almost 

 impossible, with all the precautions one can use, to penetrate near 

 their residence without being discovered. Several species of Hawks 



