164 
THE SHOWY HERON. 
ed, and performed by regular flappings, as in other birds of the tribe. When 
they have arrived at their destination, they often go to considerable distances 
to feed during the day, regularly returning at the approach of night to their 
roosts on the low trees and bushes bordering the marshes, swamps and 
ponds. They are very gentle at this season, and at all periods keep in flocks 
when not disturbed. At the approach of the breeding season, many spend 
a great part of the day at their roosting-places, perched on the low trees 
principally growing in the water, when every now and then they utter a 
rough, guttural sort of sigh, raising at the same moment their beautiful crest 
and loose recurved plumes, curving the neck, and rising on their legs to. 
„heir full height, as if about to strut on the branches. They act in the same 
nanner while on the ground mating. Then the. male, with great ardour, 
and with the most graceful motions, passes and repasses for several minutes 
at a time before and around the female, whose actions are similar, although 
the displays less ardour. When disturbed on such occasions, they rise high 
i the air, sail about and over the spot in perfect silence, awaiting the 
leparture of the intruder, then sweep along, exhibiting the most singular 
movements, now and then tumbling over and over like the Tumbler 
Pigeon, and at length alight on a tree. On the contrary, when you intrude 
apon them while breeding, they rise silently on wing, alight on the trees 
near, and remain there until you depart. 
The Snowy Herons breed in large communities ; and so very social are 
they, that they do not appear even to attempt to disturb) such other birds as 
are wont to breed among thqm, the Night Herons, for instance, the Green 
Herons, or the Boat-tailed Grakles. I have visited some of their breeding 
grounds, where several hundred pairs were to be seen, and several nests 
were placed on the branches of the same bush, as low at times that I could 
easily see into them, although others were situated at a height of ten or 
fifteen feet. In places where these birds are often disturbed, they breed in 
taller trees, though rarely on very high ones. In the Floridas I found their 
nests on low mangroves ; but wherever they are placed you find them front- 
ing the water, over which, indeed, these Herons seem fond of placing them. 
The nest, which is formed of dry sticks, is rather small, and has a shallow - 
cavity. The eggs are three, one inch and five-eighths and a half in length, 
one and a quarter across, of a broadly elliptical form, and having a plain' 
pale bluish-green colour. In the Middle Districts, the usual time of laying 
is about the middle of May ; in the Carolinas a month sooner ; and in *the 
Floridas still earlier, as there, on the 19th of May, I found the young in 
great numbers walking off their nests on the mangrove branches, and, like 
those of the Louisiana Heron, which also breeds in the same places, trying 
to escape by falling into the water below, and swimming in search of hiding- 
