40 
ARDEA NYCTICORAX. 
Delaware, near Thompson’s Point, ten or twelve miles 
below Philadelphia; which having 1 been repeatedly 
attacked and plundered by a body of crows, after many 
severe rencounters, the herons finally abandoned the 
place. Several of these breeding* places occur among 
the red cedars on the sea beach of Cape May, inter- 
mixed with those of the little egret, green bittern, and 
blue heron. The nests are built entirely of sticks, in 
considerable quantities, with frequently three and four 
nests on the same tree. The eggs are generally four 
in number, measuring two inches and a quarter in 
length, by one and three quarters in thickness, and of 
a very pale light blue colour. The ground or marsh 
below is bespattered with their excrements lying all 
around like whitewash, with feathers, broken egg shells, 
old nests, and frequently small fish, which they have 
dropt by accident, and neglected to pick up. 
On entering the swamp in the neighbourhood of one 
of these breeding places, the noise of the old and the 
young would almost induce one to suppose that two or 
three hundred Indians were choking or throttling each 
other. The instant an intruder is discovered, the 
whole rise in the air in silence, and remove to the tops 
of the trees in another part of the woods, while parties 
of from eight to ten make occasional circuits over the 
spot to see what is going on. When the young 1 are 
able, they climb to the highest part of the trees ; but, 
knowing their inability, do not attempt to fiy. Though 
it is probable that these nocturnal birds do not see 
well during the day, yet their faculty of hearing must 
be exquisite, as it is almost impossible, with all the 
precautions one can use, to penetrate near their resi- 
dence without being discovered. Several species of 
hawks hover around, making an occasional sweep 
among the young ; and the bald eagle himself has been 
seen reconnoitring near the spot, probably with the 
same design. 
Contrary to the generally received opinion, the males 
and females of these birds are so alike in colour, as 
scarcely to be distinguished from each other; both have 
