542 
THE GREAT WHITE HERON. 
together with the reports of our guns, roused some hundreds of these Herons, which flew from 
the mangroves, and in the gray light appeared to sail over and around us like so many spectres. 
I almost despaired of procuring any more. The tide was now rising, and when we met with 
the other boat we were told that if we had waited until we could have shot at them while 
perched, we might have killed several ; but that now we must remain until full tide, for the 
birds had gone to their feeding grounds. 
“The boats parted again, and it was now arranged that whenever a Heron was killed, 
another shot should be fired exactly one minute after, by which each party would be made 
aware of the success of the other. Mr. Egan, pointing to a nest on which stood two small 
young birds, desired to be landed near it. I proceeded into a narrow bayou, where we 
remained quiet for about half an hour, when a Heron flew over ,us and was shot. It was a very 
fine old male. Before firing my signal shot, I heard a report from afar, and a little after mine 
was discharged I heard another shot, so I felt assured that two birds had been killed. When 
I reached the Captain’ s boat I found that he had in fact obtained two ; but Mr. Egan had 
waited two hours in vain near the nest, for none of the old birds came up. We took him from 
his hiding-place, and brought the Herons along with us. It was now nearly high water. 
About a mile from us, more than a hundred Herons stood on a mud-bar up to their bellies. 
The pilot said that now was our best chance, as the tide would soon force them to fly, when 
they would come to rest on the trees. So we divided, each choosing his own place, and I went 
to the lowest end of the Key, where it was separated from another by a channel. I soon had 
the pleasure of observing all the Herons take to wing, one after another, in quick succession. 
I then heard my companions’ guns, but no signal of success. Obtaining a good chance, as I 
thought, I fired at a remarkably large bird, and distinctly heard the shot strike it. The Heron 
merely croaked, and pursued its course. Hot another bird came near enough to be shot at, 
although many had alighted on the neighboring Key, and stood perched like so many newly 
finished statues of the purest alabaster, forming a fine contrast to the deep blue sky. The 
boats joined us. Mr. Egan had one bird, the Captain another, and both looked at me with 
surprise. We now started for the next Key, where we expected to see more. When we had 
advanced several hundred yards along its low banks, we found the bird at which I had shot, 
lying with extended wings in the agonies of death. I was satisfied with the fruits of this day’ s 
excursion. On other occasions I procured fifteen more birds, and judging that number 
sufficient, I left the Herons to their occupations. 
“This species is extremely shy. Sometimes they would rise when at the distance of half 
a mile from us, and fly quite out of sight. If pursued, they would return to the very Keys, 
or mud-flats, from which they had risen, and it was almost impossible to approach one while 
perched or standing in the water. Indeed, I have no doubt that half a dozen specimens of 
Ardea herodias could be procured for one of the present, in the same time and under similar 
circumstances. 
“The Great White Heron is a constant resident on the Florida Keys, where it is found 
more abundant during the breeding season than anywhere else. They rarely go as far east- 
ward as Cape Florida, and are not seen on the Tortugas, probably because these islands are 
destitute of mangroves. They begin to pair early in March, but many do not lay their eggs 
until the middle of April. Their courtships were represented to me as similar to those of the 
Great Blue Heron. Their nests are at times met with at considerable distances from each 
other, and although many are found on the same Keys, they are placed farther apart than 
those of the species just mentioned. They are seldom more than a few feet above high water- 
mark, which in the Floridas is so low, that they look as if only a yard or two above the roots 
of the trees. From twenty to thirty nests which I examined were thus placed. They were 
large, about three feet in diameter, formed of sticks of different sizes, but without any appear- 
ance of lining, and quite flat, being several inches thick. The eggs are always three, measure 
two inches and three-quarters in length, one inch and eight-twelfths in breadth, and have 
a rather thick shell, of a uniform plain light bluish-green color. Mr. Egan told me that 
incubation continues about thirty days, that both birds sit (the female, however, being most 
