(. %N )
G R E E K HERON.
ARDEA VIRESCEXS. LINN.
J'F.A'L'K OCOMJSIIA- Miljs AND F¡Jtisio,
: _ : f c i s spccies, is mor é ! £, 'cn«ral ly.-kmnvu, l h a u any o í ' o u r Herons, it
b e i n g v e r y e x t e n s i v e l y iMspersed- in-spr ing, summer , and early, autumn .
I t r a n g e s a long o u r inaj.y. r i v e r * t o fi-rcait ,l-i>taii<-'i>s..l'r,mi t h e sea, teitag
c o m m o n on t h e .Missouri and its b r a n c h e s , from wMchut s p r e a d s te all
s u c h localities.».-. are favourable to its. habi t s . T-o tho north of'the
l J j u t i « i : S i a t u s . however , it is ver y seldom soon, it iiiiitij» of - rare occui«-
r e u s ® : « ® ill Kteya Scotia.. At t h e approach o fwinroni t r e t i r e s t o the
F l o r i d a s anil L owe r Louisiana, wher e individuals, however , reside all
t h e year , a n d mnnv r emove southwar d b e y o n d thftlimits-of' o u r country.
I h S M f e obs e rve d their retur n in; ear l y spt iag, w h e n aariving-im flocks
o f from twenty to fifty individuate.. They would plunge, down»a,r<ls
f r o m t h e i r islnvatou line- o f r t n a r c l i , cutting various zig-zags; unt i l th'c.y
w o u l d • t i t e f l l t a n e o s i s l y ;a l i g h t - o n the tops, o f 1 tliê1 feëes or buShSs'rf
s o m e swapipy place, o r o » the borders of mi r y ponds . TBSse-halts
t o o k p l a c e p r e t t y regularly, a b o u t a n h o u r a f t e r sl in-rise. Tho d a y was
o c c u p i e d ! , bye t h em, , asi w«Bi;a<s by »omo other species, especially'the
B i n e , the: Ye.Ilmv-i-.rownod-, a n d .Ni g h t Herons, all of wliifeh a t this: per
i o d . ' t ravel led eastward, in resting, .loari.siiii:- their-l iodios, ;aul-s«-ari-hi
n g . f o r food. When tho sun approached thé western horizon, they
w o u l d at one«ascend in the airs a r range, t lmi r lines, and commence
t h e i r liight, whk-h, I have no doubt , continued-all niylit. Yon may
t h e r e f o r e ; .good R e a d e r , conclitd'e t h a t l ierons a r c not onl y <l iuraal birds
w h e n feeding, b u t also abdë t o travo!- a t night w h e n the power ful imp
u l s e , of migrat ion urges them -Iriitri one-portion of the count r y t o an„-
t . h o r . But although on their northward jouraiey, fe-Gree» Hérons
t r a v e l in, flacks, it is a curiousifact, that, unlike our-stnallei- Waders,
B u c k s , Geese, and Granes, they-usually r e t u r n southward-'at the app
r o a c h of w i n t e r , singly or i n v e r y small iioc-ks
S t a g n a n t pool s o r b a y o u s , a n d tho m a r g i n s o f t h o lmi s t l impi d streams,
a r e alike resor ted to by thi s species f o r - t h e p u r p o s e of p rocur ing food.
I | i i s : l i t t l e a larmed by t h e presence man, and'yon» m a y o f t e n see it
GREEN W®RON. 275
ETAE M Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê H B Ê Ê Ë « • ^ B B B M I
o f gardens , This is o t o fe su b u A s of H — ^ g
( C a r o l i n a , W Ê I have s e e « s « e r a l «este,m. t h e same 11« o a f c i tof e
g n m n d s of the Honour abl e Joel. P o i * « , « wettas in' t t a s e # e f e r
M th e S o o t h « * Skates.. Thé gent-tern»«, o r ® m a n y w o u l d say.
t l „ » . , . u p i d i t y I this-bir-d is t r u l y 8 1 1 1 1 • H ¡ ¡ I
y o u to approach wi thi n a few p a c e s , W a n g as unconcernedly upon
y o u as:the Hous e Spar row is w o n t t o d® i n t h e steset s of London.
A l t h o u g h fey m.t „,,.frequently-breed in s ingl e 'pa i r s ;, t h e y aisb'ass
S
o n .a t a , not only forming communities' of their own- k ind, b n t m » g -
l i n g w i t h feiteger speciesof t h e * f r i t e , « d with- t h e Boat-taaled
(¡.r»Ul«,s, a n d o ther birds. On the 2 3 d : » y 1 M 1 * I W »0 nests,>f
t h e G r é é » H e r o n On'one -olUh e Florida Key«, e t a to some of Ardm
m f M r n v and A m k No* and t h e » » mo t e o f t h e i r néSts
» e - f o u n è « a huneh-of in feffliddle of a p<md..and place,! wi thi
n two o r"three foot of- fe water ; whi l e i n o f e i pl a c e fe«r
t e n e m e n t » o» lhhiff)toHt= cy p r e s s e s : In our M-iddfe
D i s t r i c t * , h ow« , * , , and esp.'ciallj' a t some distanc, ' f rom the sea, it is
v e r y seldom t h a t m o r e t h a n à Se e n in- « e locality.
T h e nos« ,.« tiro Green Hero», lilte'that of altaiost e#e r y o ther spe-.
é i e s Of t h e . t r ibe , - i s flat and compos ed'of s«efes, teosely arranged', among
w h i c h aiv somet imes g reen twigs wi t h their l e ave * st i l l ' a t t a . t a l . The
é g g i s a r ë theee.or fotaH-seMoM. m m «M®âM'«feêi-ei^l€hS'ml'en'gth,
a » inc h and- one - ' e ighth! i n b r e a d t h , nearl y é q j i a l l y r o u n d e d a t b o « ends,
a n è of a. d e l i c a t e sea-green colour. A'cco*dMg' to- t h e locality, fey
M e deposited from the nwldl. r o i Ma r c h t o t h e ' b e g i n n i n g of J u n o . In
t h e Southern States, two broods are frequently reared, hut in - t h e
M i d d l e a n d N o r t h e r n Districts, seldom fifcre than one.
T h e young, which are at: first of a d e ep Uvid colour, sparingly eow
M i d h e r e and, t h e r e , and m o r e é s p eoed f y about fe head; w i f e longish
t u f t s of soft h a i r -like- liow-n. of a brownish colour, remain in t h e nest
u n t i l ' n e a r l y abl e t o fly : b u t if d isturbed' , at once' ferns feïr couch, and
s c r a m b l e a long fe -»ranches, c l inging t o the m w i t h thei r f e e t , s o a s not
t o b e easily d r awn off.
A f t e r fe spring m i g r a t i o n is over, the fliglit of this species is rat
h e r ' f e e ® ? , a n d w h e n fey are p a s s i n g from one spot t o anothe r , they
frequently usé a s t ronger flap of t h e i r w i n g s a t intervals. On such occ
a s i o n s , t h e y scarcel y c o n t r a c t t h e i r n e c k ; b u t w h e n t r a v e l l i n g t o a eon