Ardea herodias. 
Lake Umbagog, Maine. 
1395. As I came down the river, however, I had a chance to 
Aug. 13. watch and admire four Great Blue Herons which were ranged a- 
long the hanks near the outlet of the upper pond, standing 
leg deep in the water watching for fish. They reminded me 
forcibly of human anglers as, with necks stretched out and 
bills pointing downward, they waited patiently for their prey. 
w 
No one of them got a chance, however, to strike during the 
fifteen minutes or more that I had them under my glass. I was 
struck by their superlatively graceful atitudes and by the 
slenderness of their necks which looked scarce larger than 
those of Grebes. All four flew when I got within 100 yards. 
One was an old bird, the other three were young. 
) 
iAug. 29. As I was paddling through Leonard’s Pond a little before 
sunset, a Great Blue Heron sailed past me within thirty yards 
and alighted on a stub. What a superlatively graceful, pic- 
■ 
turesque creature is this fine bird whether it be perched or 
flying. I observe that when one intends flying only a hun- 
dred yards or less it carries the neck stretched out to its 
. 
full length or nearly so and the legs hanging more or less 
down, but when it starts on a long flight the legs are 
✓ . stretched out behind like a spurious tail and the neck doubled 
in on the breast with the head resting between the shoulders. 
