Part 56

The boats parted again, and it was now arranged that whenever a Heron was killed, another shot should be fired exactly one minute after, by which each party would be made aware of the success of the other. Mr EGAN, pointing to a nest on which stood two small young birds, desired to be landed near it. I proceeded into a narrow bayou, where we remained quiet for about half an hour, when a Heron flew over us and was shot. It was a very fine old male. Before firing my signal shot, I heard a report from afar, and a little after mine was discharged I heard another shot, so I felt assured that two birds had been killed. When I reached the Captain’s boat I found that he had in fact obtained two; but Mr EGAN had waited two hours in vain near the nest, for none of the old birds came up. We took him from his hiding place, and brought the Herons along with us. It was now nearly high water. About a mile from us, more than a hundred Herons stood on a mud-bar up to their bellies. The pilot said that now was our best chance, as the tide would soon force them to fly, when they would come to rest on the trees. So we divided, each choosing his own place, and I went to the lowest end of the key, where it was separated from another by a channel. I soon had the pleasure of observing all the Herons take to wing, one after another, in quick succession. I then heard my companions’ guns, but no signal of success. Obtaining a good chance as I thought, I fired at a remarkably large bird, and distinctly heard the shot strike it. The Heron merely croaked, and pursued its course. Not another bird came near enough to be shot at, although many had alighted on the neighbouring key, and stood perched like so many newly finished statues of the purest alabaster, forming a fine contrast to the deep blue sky. The boats joined us. Mr EGAN had one bird, the Captain another, and both looked at me with surprise. We now started for the next key, where we expected to see more. When we had advanced several hundred yards along its low banks, we found the bird at which I had shot lying with extended wings in the agonies of death. It was from this specimen that the drawing was made. I was satisfied with the fruits of this day’s excursion. On other occasions I procured fifteen more birds, and judging that number sufficient, I left the Herons to their occupations.

This species is extremely shy. Sometimes they would rise when at the distance of half a mile from us, and fly quite out of sight. If pursued, they would return to the very keys or mud-flats from which they had risen, and it was almost impossible to approach one while perched or standing in the water. Indeed, I have no doubt that half a dozen specimens of _Ardea Herodias_ could be procured for one of the present, in the same time and under similar circumstances.

The Great White Heron is a constant resident on the Florida Keys, where it is found more abundant during the breeding season than anywhere else. They rarely go as far eastward as Cape Florida, and are not seen on the Tortugas, probably because these islands are destitute of mangroves. They begin to pair early in March, but many do not lay their eggs until the middle of April. Their courtships were represented to me as similar to those of the Great Blue Heron. Their nests are at times met with at considerable distances from each other, and although many are found on the same keys, they are placed farther apart than those of the species just mentioned. They are seldom more than a few feet above high water-mark, which in the Floridas is so low, that they look as if only a yard or two above the roots of the trees. From twenty to thirty nests which I examined were thus placed. They were large, about three feet in diameter, formed of sticks of different sizes, but without any appearance of lining, and quite flat, being several inches thick. The eggs are always three, measure two inches and three quarters in length, one inch and eight-twelfths in breadth, and have a rather thick shell, of a uniform plain light bluish-green colour. Mr EGAN told me that incubation continues about thirty days, that both birds sit, (the female, however, being most assiduous,) and with their legs stretched out before them, in the same manner as the young when two or three weeks old. The latter, of which I saw several from ten days to a month old, were pure white, slightly tinged with cream colour, and had no indications of a crest. Those which I carried to Charleston, and which were kept for more than a year, exhibited nothing of the kind. I am unable to say how long it is before they attain their full plumage as represented in the plate, when, as you see, the head is broadly but loosely and shortly tufted, the feathers of the breast pendent, but not remarkably long, and there are none of the narrow feathers seen in other species over the rump or wings.

These Herons are sedate, quiet, and perhaps even less animated than the _A. Herodias_. They walk majestically, with firmness and great elegance. Unlike the species just named, they _flock_ at their feeding grounds, sometimes a hundred or more being seen together; and what is still more remarkable is, that they betake themselves to the mud-flats or sand-bars at a distance from the Keys on which they roost and breed. They seem, in so far as I could judge, to be diurnal, an opinion corroborated by the testimony of Mr EGAN, a person of great judgment, sagacity and integrity. While on these banks, they stand motionless, rarely moving towards their prey, but waiting until it comes near, when they strike it and swallow it alive, or when large beat it on the water, or shake it violently, biting it severely all the while. They never leave their feeding grounds until driven off by the tide, remaining until the water reaches their body. So wary are they, that although they may return to roost on the same keys, they rarely alight on trees to which they have resorted before, and if repeatedly disturbed they do not return, for many weeks at least. When roosting, they generally stand on one foot, the other being drawn up, and, unlike the Ibises, are never seen lying flat on trees, where, however, they draw in their long neck, and place their head under their wing.

I was often surprised to see that while a flock was resting by day in the position just described, one or more stood with outstretched necks, keenly eyeing all around, now and then suddenly starting at the sight of a Porpoise or Shark in chase of some fish. The appearance of a man or a boat, seemed to distract them; and yet I was told that nobody ever goes in pursuit of them. If surprised, they leave their perch with a rough croaking sound, and fly directly to a great distance, but never inland.

The flight of the Great White Heron is firm, regular, and greatly protracted. They propel themselves by regular slow flaps, the head being drawn in after they have proceeded a few yards, and their legs extended behind, as is the case with all other Herons. They also now and then rise high in the air, where they sail in wide circles, and they never alight without performing this circling flight, unless when going to feeding grounds on which other individuals have already settled. It is truly surprising that a bird of so powerful a flight never visits Georgia or the Carolinas, nor goes to the Mainland. When you see them about the middle of the day on their feeding grounds they “loom” to about double their size, and present a singular appearance. It is difficult to kill them unless with buck-shot, which we found ourselves obliged to use.

When I left Key West, on our return towards Charleston, I took with me two young birds that had been consigned to the care of my friend Dr B. STROBEL, who assured me that they devoured more than their weight of food per day. I had also two young birds of the _Ardea Herodias_ alive. After bringing them on board, I placed them all together in a very large coop; but was soon obliged to separate the two species, for the white birds would not be reconciled to the blue, which they would have killed. While the former had the privilege of the deck for a few minutes, they struck at the smaller species, such as the young of _Ardea rufescens_ and _A. Ludoviciana_, some of which they instantly killed and swallowed entire, although they were abundantly fed on the flesh of green Turtles. None of the sailors succeeded in making friends with them.

On reaching Indian Key, I found those which had been left with Mrs EGAN, in excellent health and much increased in size, but to my surprise observed that their bills were much broken, which she assured me had been caused by the great force with which they struck at the fishes thrown to them on the rocks of their enclosure,—a statement which I found confirmed by my own observation in the course of the day. It was almost as difficult to catch them in the yard, as if they had never seen a man before, and we were obliged to tie their bills fast, to avoid being wounded by them while carrying them on board. They thrived well, and never manifested the least animosity towards each other. One of them which accidentally walked before the coop in which the Blue Herons were, thrust its bill between the bars, and transfixed the head of one of these birds, so that it was instantaneously killed.

When we arrived at Charleston, four of them were still alive. They were taken to my friend JOHN BACHMAN, who was glad to see them. He kept a pair, and offered the other to our mutual friend Dr SAMUEL WILSON, who accepted them, but soon afterwards gave them to Dr GIBBES of Columbia College, merely because they had killed a number of Ducks. My friend BACHMAN kept two of these birds for many months; but it was difficult for him to procure fish enough for them, as they swallowed a bucketful of mullets in a few minutes, each devouring about a gallon of these fishes. They betook themselves to roosting in a beautiful arbour in his garden; where at night they looked with their pure white plumage like beings of another world. It is a curious fact, that the points of their bills, of which an inch at least had been broken, grew again, and were as regularly shaped at the end of six months as if nothing had happened to them. In the evening or early in the morning, they would frequently set, like pointer dogs, at moths which hovered over the flowers, and with a well-directed stroke of their bill seize the fluttering insect and instantly swallow it. On many occasions, they also struck at chickens, grown fowls and ducks, which they would tear up and devour. Once a cat which was asleep in the sunshine, on the wooden steps of the viranda, was pinned through the body to the boards, and killed by one of them. At last they began to pursue the younger children of my worthy friend, who therefore ordered them to be killed. One of them was beautifully mounted by my assistant Mr HENRY WARD, and is now in the Museum of Charleston. Dr GIBBES was obliged to treat his in the same manner; and I afterwards saw one of them in his collection. Of the fifteen skins of this species which I carried to Philadelphia, one was presented to the Academy of Natural Sciences of that beautiful city, another was given in exchange for various skins, and two I believe are now in the possession of GEORGE COOPER, Esq. of New York. Two were sent along with other specimens to Mr SELBY of Twizel House, Northumberland. On my arrival in England, I presented a pair to His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, who gave them to the British Museum, where I have since seen them mounted. I also presented a specimen to the Zoological Society of London.

Mr EGAN kept for about a year one of these birds, which he raised from the nest, and which, when well grown, was allowed to ramble along the shores of Indian Key in quest of food. One of the wings had been cut, and the bird was known to all the resident inhabitants, but was at last shot by some Indian Hunter, who had gone there to dispose of a collection of sea shells.

Some of the Herons feed on the berries of certain trees during the latter part of autumn and the beginning of winter. Dr B. B. STROBEL observed the Night Heron eating those of the “Gobolimbo,” late in September at Key West.

Among the varied and contradictory descriptions of Herons, you will find it alleged that these birds seize fish while on wing by plunging the head and neck into the water; but this seems to me extremely doubtful. Nor, I believe, do they watch for their prey while perched on trees. Another opinion is, that Herons are always thin, and unfit for food. This, however, is by no means generally the case in America, and I have thought these birds very good eating when not too old.

GREAT WHITE HERON, ARDEA OCCIDENTALIS.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXI.

Bill much longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering to a point, the mandibles nearly equal, but the point of the upper considerably extended beyond that of the lower. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, the ridge broadly convex at the base, convex and narrowed towards the end, a groove from the base to near the tip, beneath which the sides are convex, the edges extremely thin and sharp, towards the end broken into irregular serratures, the tip acute. Lower mandible with the angle extremely narrow and elongated, the dorsal line beyond it ascending and slightly curved, the ridge convex, the sides ascending and slightly concave, the edges as in the upper, the tip acuminate. Nostrils basal, linear-oblong, longitudinal, with a membrane above and behind.

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck extremely long, slender. Body slender and compressed; wings large. Feet very long; tibia elongated, its lower half bare, very slender, covered all round with large elongated hexagonal scales; tarsus long, thicker than the lower part of the tibia, compressed, covered anteriorly with large scutella, excepting at the two extremities where there are large angular scales. Toes of moderate length, rather slender, scutellate above, flattened, and reticularly granulate beneath, the thick margins covered with small scales, the sides with larger; the third and fourth toes connected at the base by a reticulated web; the third toe much longer than the fourth, which is considerably longer than the second, the first about half the length of the third; claws of moderate size, strong, compressed, curved, obtuse, the first largest, the third next in size, and with an inner regularly pectinated edge, all more or less convex beneath.

Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, as well as at the angle of the mouth bare, as is the lower half of the tibia. Plumage soft, the edges of the feathers loose and blended. Feathers of the upper part of the head and hind neck elongated and tapering; of the back long and loose, of the rump soft and downy; scapulars very long, rather compact, the upper loose. Feathers of the fore neck elongated, of the sides of the breast anteriorly very long, loose and tapering; of the rest of the lower parts broader but pointed; of the tibia shortish. Wings large, rounded; primaries curved, strong, broad, tapering, the three first slightly sinuate on the inner web; third quill longest, fourth scarcely shorter, third almost as long as fourth, first a quarter of an inch shorter; secondaries very large, broad and rounded, the inner extending as far as the longest primary when the wing is closed. Tail short, slightly rounded, of twelve broad, rounded feathers.

Bill yellow, the upper mandible dusky green at its base; loral space yellowish-green; orbital space light blue. Iris bright yellow. Tibia and hind part of tarsus yellow; fore part of tibia and toes olivaceous, sides of the latter greenish-yellow; claws light brown. The whole of the plumage is pure white.

Length to end of tail 54 inches, to end of wings 54, to end of claws 70; extent of wings 83; wing from flexure 19; tail 7; bill along the back 6-3/4, along the edges 8-3/4; bare part of tibia 6; tarsus 8-1/2; middle toe 4-10/12, its claw 10/12. Weight 9-1/2 lb.

The Female is smaller, but similar to the male. The dimensions of an individual were as follows.

Length to end of tail 50, to end of wings 50, to end of claws 65; extent of wings 75; wing from flexure 18-3/4; tail 6-3/4; bill along the back 5-10/12, along the edges 7-3/4, its depth at base 1-5/12; tarsus 7-1/2; middle toe 4-1/4, its claw 9/12. Weight 7-1/4 lb.

The Young are at first covered with white down, and when fledged are of the same colour. An individual just able to fly was of the following dimensions.

Length to end of tail 43-1/2, to end of claws 56; wing from flexure 18; bill 5-4/12; along the edge 7-1/4; tarsus 6-1/2; middle toe 4-1/4, its claw 3/4. The serrature of the middle claw is distinct at this age.

In this species, the skin is uncommonly tender, and of a yellow colour.

THE WHITE-WINGED SILVERY GULL.

_LARUS LEUCOPTERUS_, FABER.

PLATE CCLXXXII. ADULT MALE, AND YOUNG.

I have not met with this species farther south than the Bay of New York. During the winter it is not rare about Boston and farther eastward. At the approach of summer, before the pairing of the Herring Gull, _Larus argentatus_, the White-winged Gulls collect in flocks, and set out for the distant north, where they breed.

The flight of this species so much resembles that of the Herring Gull, that were it not for its smaller size, and the different colour of its wings, it could not be distinguished from the other. It is less shy, however, proceeds farther up the rivers and salt-water creeks, and alights oftener on the water as well as on the salt-meadows, than that species. While at Portland in Maine, I observed a good number of these Gulls flying over the inner harbour close to the shores, descending towards the water, and picking up garbage in the manner of the Herring Gulls, with which they associated. Their notes were not so loud, nor so often heard.

I was surprised to find but very few on the coast of Labrador, and these did not seem to be breeding, for although we carefully watched them, we did not succeed in finding any nests.

LARUS LEUCOPTERUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 361.

LARUS LEUCOPTERUS, WHITE-WINGED SILVERY GULL, _Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 418.

LARUS ARCTICUS, _Macgillivray_, Wern. Trans, vol. v. p. 268.

WHITE-WINGED SILVERY GULL, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 305.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXII. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, strong, nearly straight, compressed. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight at the base, arched and decimate towards the end, the ridge convex, the sides slightly convex, the edges sharp, nearly direct, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal groove rather long and narrow; nostril in its fore part, lateral, longitudinal, linear, wider anteriorly, open and pervious. Lower mandible with a prominence at the end of the angle, which is long and narrow, the dorsal line then nearly straight and ascending, the sides flat and slightly inclined, the edges sharp and inflected.

Head rather large. Neck of moderate length. Body rather full. Wings very long. Feet of moderate length, rather slender; tibia bare below; tarsus somewhat compressed, covered before with numerous broad scutella, laterally and behind with roundish scales, on the outer side also with a row of small scutella; toes of moderate length, rather slender, all covered above with scutella; the anterior connected by reticulated webs, the two lateral with an external thick margin; the first extremely small, the third longest, the fourth longer than second; claw of hind toe smallest, of third largest, with an inner thin edge, of second next in size, all more or less compressed and obtuse.

The plumage in general is close, elastic, very soft and blended, on the back rather compact. Wings very long, broad, pointed; primaries tapering, the first longest, the second slightly shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries broad and rounded, the inner elongated and rather narrow. Tail of moderate length, even, of twelve broad feathers.

Bill gamboge-yellow, with a spot of orange-red near the end of lower mandible; the angle of the mouth and the edges of the eyelids are also orange-red. Iris pale yellow. Feet pale flesh-colour; claws greyish-brown. The whole plumage is pure white, excepting the back and upper surface of wings; the tips of the secondaries, the terminal third or so of the primaries, their shafts, and the upper tail-coverts also white.

Length to end of tail 26 inches, to end of wings 28-1/4; extent of wings 50; bill along the back 1-3/4, along the edges 2-1/2; tarsus 2-1/2, middle toe 2-1/12, its claw (4-1/2)/12; wing from flexure 17-1/2; tail 6-1/2.

Young in winter. Plate CCLXXXII. Fig. 2.

Bill yellow, the tips black. Edges of eyelids pale reddish-orange; iris brown. Feet yellowish flesh colour; claws greyish-brown. The plumage is yellowish-grey, marked on the head and neck with longitudinal streaks of pale brown, on the back and wings with transverse undulations, those on the tail much fainter; the first six quills destitute of markings.

THE WANDERING SHEARWATER.

_PUFFINUS CINEREUS_, CUV.

PLATE CCLXXXIII. MALE.

I have found this species ranging from the Gulf of St Lawrence to that of Mexico, but have very seldom seen it near the coast. While sailing round Nova Scotia, on my way to Labrador, early in June, I observed one evening about sunset, a great number flying from the rocky shores, which induced me to think that they bred there. Scarcely one was to be seen during the day, and this circumstance strengthened my opinion, as I was aware that these birds are in the habit of remaining about their nests at that time. In September the case is very different; for they are then seen far out at sea, at all hours by day and through the night.

In calm weather, they are fond of alighting on the water, in company with the Fulmars, and are then easily approached. They swim buoyantly, and have a graceful appearance while playing among themselves. Two that had been caught with hooks, walked as well as Ducks, and made no pretence of sitting on their rumps, as some writers have said they do. On being approached, they opened their bills, raised their feathers, and squirted an oily substance through their nostrils, which they continued to do when held in the hand, at the same time scratching with their sharp claws and bills. They refused all sorts of food; and as they were unpleasant pets, they were set at liberty. To my great surprise, instead of flying directly off, as I expected, they launched toward the water, dived several yards obliquely, and on coming to the surface, splashed and washed themselves for several minutes before they took to wing, when they flew away with their usual ease and grace.

The flight of this wanderer of the ocean is extremely rapid and protracted. When it blows hard, it skims along the troughs of the waves on extended wings in large curves, shewing its upper and lower parts alternately, evidently with the view of being aided by the wind. In calm weather its flight is much lower and less rapid, and it rarely throws its body sideways, but seems to feed more abundantly than during boisterous weather. Like the small Petrels, it frequently uses its feet to support itself on the surface, without actually alighting. In the stomach of those which I opened, I found fishes, portions of crabs, sea-weeds, and oily substances. It does not appear that this species goes far north, as was formerly supposed; for none of the late northern voyagers mention having seen it, although they found the Fulmar abundant.

PUFFINUS CINEREUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 370.

PROCELLARIA CINEREA, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 10.

CINEREOUS PUFFIN, _Nuttall_, Manual, p. 334.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXIII.