LOUISIANA HERON. 
159 
unless an accident should happen. The eggs of the Louisiana Heron mea- 
sure one inch and six and a half twelfths in length, an inch and a quarter in 
breadth ; they are nearly elliptical, of a beautiful pale blue colour inclining 
to green, smooth, and with a very thin shell. The period of incubation is 
twenty-one days. Like all other species of the genus, this raises only one 
brood in the season. The little island of which I have spoken lies exposed 
to the sea, and has an extent of only a few acres. The trees or bushes with 
which it was covered seemed to have been stunted by the effect pi’oduced 
by their having been for years the receptacles of the Heron’s nests. 
On the 19th of May, in the same year, I found another breeding place of 
this species not far from Key West. The young birds, which stood on all 
the branches of the trees and bushes on the southern side of the place, were 
about the size of our Little Partridge. Their notes, by which we had been 
attracted to the spot, were extremely plaintive, and resembled the syllables 
wiee, wiee, wiee. When we went up to them, the old birds all flew to 
another key, as if intent on drawing us there ; but in vain, for we took with 
us a good number of their young. It was surprising to see the little fellows 
moving about among the branches, clinging to them in all sorts of curious 
positions, and persevering in forcing their way toward the water, when over 
which they at once dropped, and swam off from us with great vigour and 
speed. When seized with the hand, they defended themselves to the utmost. 
At this early period, they plainly shewed the sprouting feathers of the crest. 
Many Crow Blackbirds had nests on the same mangroves, and a Fish-Hawk 
also had formed its nest there at a height of not more than five feet from the 
water. On the 24th of May, these Herons were fully fledged, and able to 
fly to a short distance. In this state we, with some difficulty, procured one 
alive. Its legs and feet were green, the bill black, but its eyes, like those of 
an adult bird, were of a beautiful red hue. Many were caught afterwards 
and taken as passengers on board the Marion. They fed on any garbage 
thrown to them by the sailors ; but whenever another species came near 
them, they leaped towards its bill, caught hold of it as if it had been a fish, 
and hung to it until shaken off by their stronger associates. On several 
occasions, however, the Ardea occidentalis shook them off violently, and 
after beating them on the deck, swallowed them before they could be 
rescued ! 
The place farthest up on the Mississippi where I have found this species 
breeding was on Buffalo creek, about forty miles below Natchez, and ten 
miles in a direct line from the great river. To the eastward I have found 
them breeding in Company with the Green Heron and the Night Heron, 
within a few miles of Charleston. 
During summer and autumn, after the old birds have left theiryoung, both 
