with a gentleman on May 5th, 1887, to view 
for the first time the home of the largest of the 
herons. 
After travelling some miles on the wrong 
road, and being directed and misdirected sev¬ 
eral times by the unassuming countrymen, we 
arrived at last in sight of the nests. After ty¬ 
ing our horse to a fence we started towards the 
objects of our search through a field of grain, 
and luckily for us, the owner of the field failed 
to put in an appearance. 
The nests were in the tops of three tall syca¬ 
more trees, and appeared at a distance very 
much like the bunches of mistletoe often seen 
in oak trees. As we approached nearer the 
nests one of us sighted the first bird and cried 
“there’s a heron, see him ! ” and just at that 
thrilling moment stepped into a hole in the 
ground, and was thrown violently forward and 
lost to sight in the waving grain. 
When within one hundred yards of the syca¬ 
more trees, about thirty herons flew from their 
nests and circled around in the air, uttering 
dismal eroakings as though they felt very un¬ 
willing to give up possession of their homes. 
Finding that without climbers it would be im¬ 
possible to ascend to the nests we contented 
ourselves, for the time being, with a sight of 
them and a view of their long-legged owners. 
There were about thirty-five nests in all, j 
built mostly in three sycamore trees which 
were in a field of grain and within a half-mile 
of a farm house. The heronry was about two 
miles from a salt marsh and not near any 
swamp as is, I believe, usually the case on the 
eastern coast. The nests were of different 
sizes, some being very large and built of sticks, 
on the highest branches of the trees. In one 
tree I counted twenty-two nests. Although 
there was an immense grove of live oaks near 
by, the herons had built no nests in them, seem¬ 
ing to prefer the tops of the lofty sycamores, 
because of their being more inaccessible. I am 
informed that the Great Blue Herons build in 
the tops of tall trees in some of the canyons of 
the mountains near this valley. 
The heronry we visited has been occupied by 
the birds every year for many years. As we 
saw some nests only partly constructed, it is 
probable that the adult population of the colony 
has considerably increased since last year. 
O.&O. XU UAug.1887 p, W -ZiP. 
Dr. Will/ DeForrestNfomirup arrived ip /New 
J York frWii Central ArnVica, just as we/go to 
i press, /ire was suceessfiuXin his explorations 
| beyond the^ppectatiohs of His friends. 
NOTES ON HABITS OF A FEW BIRDS OF ORANGE 
COUNTY, FLORIDA . 
m 
BY D. MORTIMER. 
Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron. 
The Great Blue Heron is commonly rather wary, but I have 
noticed one or two singular exceptions to this rule. On June 23, 
1S88, my brother and I were fishing in a small creek that drains 
from the great prairie on the west shore of Lake Jessup. We 
had shifted our position to a certain point when we noticed that 
some creature was splashing about just around the nearest bend. 
Watching for a moment, we soon saw a Great Blue Heron bus¬ 
ily engaged in catching a lunch. It was wading in water that 
reached above the joints of its legs, and its mode of proceeding 
was to lift one foot after the other slowly and deliberately clear of 
the surface, thus moving steadily and silently. Frequently it struck 
to the right or left, first pausing and apparently taking careful aim. 
Occasionally it wished to reach some object at a distance out in 
the stream, when it plunged bodily forward and stretched its 
neck to the utmost, though it could no longer touch bottom with 
its feet. At these times it always spread its wings, and with 
their aid floundered backward to its former position in shallow wa¬ 
ter. The manoeuvre was decidedly awkward, though apparently 
always successful, as the bird could be observed swallowing 
what it had secured. We watched it for some time as it waded 
up and down the shore, and were surprised that it was not dis¬ 
turbed by our presence and conversation. Finally, to test its 
unconcern, my brother sculled the boat past it, keeping to the 
opposite shore, which, however, was less than twenty yards dis¬ 
tant from the bird. After he had passed the Heron, we talked 
back and forth past it, but the only notice it took of us was to 
stand motionless once or twice and look at us. It displayed the 
greatest proof of confidence as my brother was returning, for, as 
he was about opposite to its station, it made one of its comical 
plunges into deep water. We finally left it still pursuing its 
nourishment. --<U A. , V Qct, 
18S0, , 337 - 33 ^. 
m 
