THE GREAT BLUE HERON. 
127 
any other food than that killed by itself. Now and then it strikes at a fish 
so large and strong as to endanger its own life ; and I once saw one on the 
Florida coast, that, after striking a fish, when standing in the water to the 
full length of its legs, was dragged along for several yards, now on the sur- 
face, and again beneath. When, after a severe struggle, the Heron dis- 
engaged itself, it appeared quite overcome, and stood still near the shore, his 
head turned from the sea, as if afraid to try another such experiment. The 
number of fishes, measuring five or six inches, which one of these birds 
devours in a day, is surprising. Some which I kept on board the Marion 
would swallow, in the space of half an hour, a bucketful of young mullets ; 
and when fed on the flesh of green turtles, they would eat several pounds 
at a meal. I have no doubt that, in favourable circumstances, one of them 
could devour several hundreds of small fishes in a day. A Heron that was 
caught alive on one of the Florida keys, near Key West, looked so emaciated 
when it came on board, that I had it killed to discover the cause of its 
miserable condition. It was an adult female that had bred that spring ; her 
belly was in a state of mortification, and on opening her, we found the head 
of a fish measuring several inches, which, in an undigested state, had lodged 
among the entrails of the poor bird. How long it had suffered could only 
be guessed, but this undoubtedly was the cause of the miserable state in 
which it was found. 
I took a pair of Young Herons of this species to Charleston. They were 
nearly able to fly when caught, and were standing erect a few yards from 
the nest, in which lay a putrid one that seemed to have been trampled to 
death by the rest. They offered little resistance, but grunted with a rough 
uncouth voice. I had them placed in a large coop, containing four indi- 
viduals of the Ardea occidentalis, who immediately attacked the new- 
comers in the most violent manner, so that I was obliged to turn them loose 
on the deck. I had frequently observed the great antipathy evinced by the 
majestic white species towards the blue in the wild state, but was surprised 
to find it equally strong in young birds which had never seen one, and were 
at that period smaller than the other. All my endeavours to remove their 
dislike were unavailing, for when placed in a large yard, the White Herons 
attacked the Blue, and kept them completely under. The latter became 
much tamer, and were more attached to each other. Whenever a piece of 
turtle was thrown to them, it was dexterously caught in the air and gobbled 
up in an instant, and as they became more familiar, they ate bits of biscuit, 
cheese, and even rinds of bacon. 
When wounded, the Great Blue Heron immediately prepares for defence, 
and woe to the man or dog who incautiously comes within reach of its 
powerful bill, for that instant he is sure to receive a severe wound, and the 
