LETTERS FROM ALABAMA. 
101 
off by its noble spikes of wliite flowers, thickly 
clustered like snowballs. Common and indigenous 
flowers are apt to be disregarded by horticulturists, 
even if beautiful; but this one, though by no 
means uncommon, seems to have its claims to notice 
acknowledged, and is a favourite in our gardens. 
It thrives most in low damp situations^ and affects 
the vicinity of water. 
By-and-by I came to some extensive planta- 
tions, in the immediate vicinity of King’s Landing, 
where I had landed from the Alabama. Here- 
about, on the sides of the road and in the angles 
of the fences, the Prickly-pear {Opuntia- ?) was 
growing in abundance; it was a smaller species 
than that which I noticed on the shore at Mobile, 
not rising more than a foot in height, and the oval 
leaf-like divisions of the stem were also smaller. 
They were profusely adorned with the beautiful 
yellow flowers ; but, warned by experience, I did 
not meddle with them. The tops of those recep- 
tacles from which the flowers had fallen were 
concave, and of a delicate pink hue. 
On suddenly turning round a point of the forest, 
where the road was overflowed with water, forming 
a large pond, I surprised a Blue Heron [Ardea 
ccerulec ^ , which was standing, in the silent and 
motionless manner of the genus, on the very edge 
of the pool, intently gazing into the water, as if 
cut in stone. It was doubtless watching for water- 
insects and worms. On seeing me, it rose to flight, 
when it seemed all wings, and was soon lost in 
the deep woods. The Herons are shy retiring birds, 
delighting in the gloomy solitude of marshes, or 
unfrequented lakes, or where the large rivers flow 
through the untouched forest. Their form is grace- 
