They were constantly moving from place to place and many passed 
over me within a few yards showing dimly like shadows against 
the sky, their wings making a slight rustling sound*’ These and 
other evidences of their incessant activity convinced me that 
they were actively engaged in fishing during the entire night# 
* 
It seems however that they are by no means exclusively nocturnal 
for at least half of these birds remained about the place long 
after sunrise on the morning of the I9th and a good many fished 
there through the entire forenoon although the day was clear and 
the sunlight, reflected from the white sand along the shore, 
very bright and dazzling. I had a rare ppportunity to watch 
about a dozen which were posted along the edgeof a herring diteh 
that connected the larger pond with a smaller one. This ditch 
was about 20 ft# wide with gravelly banks 15 to 25 ft#high# The 
incoming birds regularly alighted on the ground a little back 
from the ditch , walked sedately to the edge, peered over and 
looked sharply about for a moment there and then flopped down to 
the water below where they chose a position either on the very 
edge or standing knee deep in the shallow water* Once settled 
they remained nearly motionless in easy attitudes, resting in¬ 
variably on both legs, the feet well apart, the body usually about 
horizontal, the head and neck either stretched up to nearly the 
full height or out over the water. When one of them saw a fish 
he at once betrayed the fact by the eager concentration of his 
gaze to the spot whence it was approaching. As it came nearer 
he leaned slightly forward at the same time extending his neck 
slowly down and out over the water -until the tip of the bill 
