ARDEIDiE. 
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attitudes to secure tlieir prey ; and some of the main flock occa- 
sionally gave sign of life by stretcliing out their necks to see that 
all was safe. At the same season of the two following years^ this 
habit of the herons was noticed, — the congregated numbers being 
then increased to fifty, and subsequently to sixty. Apparently 
tlnough laziness to take wing, herons often allow the flowing tide 
to wet their plmnage considerably before they take to flight. 
During keen frost, on the 23rd January 1839, when the beach on 
which they stood was hard frozen, I observed numbers of them, at 
the edge of the in-coming tide, allow fuUy the third of their plu- 
mage, in a line with the highest exposed part of the tibise, to be 
wetted, the entire “legs and thighs being at the time concealed 
from view. On this occasion, however, the mud-banks being 
liard- frozen, and the air very cold, the flowing tide would have 
warmed them. In the midst of the breeding season only, are 
herons, as well as birds generally, scarce in the bay. It then 
appears quite deserted, no more than one or two herons, perhaps, 
being visible within the range of a mile. Soon after that season 
they again make their appearance in numbers. On the 9th of 
August 1845 I reckoned fifty-two in a close flock when the tide 
was a considerable way out, and a great extent of banks was laid 
bare for them. From where they were stationed, to the distance 
of a mile, not another heron appeared ; but there, nearly a dozen 
were congregated in a compact body. Old birds as well as 
young were of both parties. A similar note, with respect to nmn- 
bers and the sociability of the species, was made in Aug. 1847. 
It is very interesting to observe the good fellowship subsisting 
among various species of Grallatores, by their associating together ; 
but still more so to remark the gregarious habits of birds of dif- 
ferent orders. I have seen herons — be the reason what it may — 
when looking out for places to alight, on an extensive range of 
beach, either select the immediate vicinity of flocks of gulls, or 
“ pitch^'’ in the midst of a flock without disturbing any of them. 
The scene of the operations here detailed, comprises about two 
miles in extent on either side of the bay. 
Idle preceding notes may be considered too minute ; but they 
