54 
ALTRICIAL GRALLATORES — HERODIONES. 
return in the early spring, in flocks of from twenty to fifty. Their migrations are 
made at night ; in the fall, however, they fly singly, or in small flocks. In the 
suburbs of Charleston, and in the neighborhood of other Southern cities, this Heron 
is known to build its nest close to houses, and even to raise its brood on the trees of 
a garden. 
Mr. Moore confirms the statement of Mr. Audubon, that a few of this species 
remain in Florida during the winter. On the Sarasota some were seen throughout 
most of the winter ; and as this species always frequents close and tangled woods, 
if the spot is supplied with water and affords abundant food, it may exist in con- 
siderable numbers, and yet escape notice. 
This Heron has its own peculiar manner of Searching for its food, which in some 
respects differs from that of all the other kinds. It fishes from the shore or from a 
log, root, snag, or shelving rock, preferring not to wade into the water or to stand in 
it; still, on seeing a tempting morsel, it will quit its point of observation and walk 
into the water towards it. Its approach at such times is peculiar ; though the Louis- 
iana Heron seems occasionally to copy its style, except that the latter is constantly 
in the water at the time of fishing. The Green Heron, however, on seeing a fish, 
crouches low on its legs, draws back its head, crooks its neck, creeps slyly along, 
laying its tarsi almost down on the rock or the ground, carries the bill level with the 
top of the back, and when near enough darts the bill forward towards it, sometimes 
with such force as to topple forward a step or two. It seldom immerses its head in 
fishing, is always disposed to steal upon its prey in a sly, cat-like, crouching manner, 
remaining quite motionless for a long time, and often advancing so slowly and 
stealthily that even a keen-eyed observer would hardly perceive the motion. Its 
antipathy to and jealousy of its own species at the feeding-grounds is decided. Its 
eggs are found from the 18th of April to the 1st of June ; there are rarely more than 
four in a nest. 
Two eggs of this species, from Lake Koskonong, Wisconsin, in my collection 
(No. 1965) measure, one, 1.45 by 1.20 inches; the other, 1.40 by 1.12 inches. They 
are of oval form, slightly rounded, and equal at either end. Their color is like that 
of the Heron family — a light wash of Prussian blue strongly tinged with green, 
rather brighter than in other kinds, and of a lighter shade. 
Genus NYCTICORAX, Stephens. 
Nycticorax, Stephens, Sliaw’s Gen. Zool. XI. xi. 1819, 608 (type, Ardea nycticorax, Linn.). 
Nyctiardea, Swains. Classif. B. ii. 1837, 354 (same type). 
Gen. Char. Medium-sized herons of very short thick build, large, thick heads, and short 
tarsi. The plumage exceedingly different in the adult and young, but the sexes similar. Adults 
with two or three exceedingly long thread-like, white occipital plumes. 
Bill very stout, the depth through the base being more than one fourth the culmen ; the latter 
nearly straight for the basal two thirds, then gently curved to the tip ; lower edge of the man- 
dibular rami nearly straight ; gonys nearly straight, very slightly ascending ; maxillary tomium 
decidedly concave, with a very convex outline just forward of the rictus. Mental apex reaching 
more than half way from the centre of the eye to the point of the bill, and to beyond the anterior 
end of the nostril ; malar apex falling a little short of the frontal apex. Tarsi a little longer than 
the middle toe, its saitellce hexagonal in front ; lateral toes nearly equal, but the outer the longer ; 
hallux less than half the middle toe ; bare portion of tibia shorter than the hallux. Inner webs 
of two outer primaries distinctly emarginated near the end. Tail of twelve broad, moderately 
hard feathers, as in the typical Herons. 
