. American ornithology, or, The natural history of the birds of the United States [microform]. Birds; Oiseaux. 810 SNOWY HERON. '-* F'^ts *^t '( ' V '. and found to be well tasted; the white was of a bluish tint, and almost transparent, though boiled for a considerable time; the yolk very small in quantity. The birds rose in vast numbers, but without clamor, alighting on the tops of the trees around, and watching the result in silent anxiety. Among them were numbers of the Night Heron, and two or three Purple-headed Herons. Great quantities of egg shells lay scattered under the trees, occasion
. American ornithology, or, The natural history of the birds of the United States [microform]. Birds; Oiseaux. 810 SNOWY HERON. '-* F'^ts *^t '( ' V '. and found to be well tasted; the white was of a bluish tint, and almost transparent, though boiled for a considerable time; the yolk very small in quantity. The birds rose in vast numbers, but without clamor, alighting on the tops of the trees around, and watching the result in silent anxiety. Among them were numbers of the Night Heron, and two or three Purple-headed Herons. Great quantities of egg shells lay scattered under the trees, occasioned by the depredations of the Crows, who were continually hovering about the place. On one of the nests I found the dead body of the bird itself, half devoured by the Hawks, Crows, or Gulls. She had probably perished in defence of her eggs. The Snowy Heron is seen at all times, during summer, among the salt marshes, watching and searching for food; or passing, sometimes in flocks, from one part of the bay to the other. They often make excursions up the rivers and inlets; but return regularly, in the even- ing, to the red cedars on the beach, to roost. I found these birds on the Mississippi, early in June, as far up as Fort Adams, roaming about among the creeks, and inundated woods. The length of this species is two feet one inch; extent three feet two inches; the bill is four inches and a quarter long, and grooved; the space from the nostril to the eye orange yellow, the rest of the bill black ; irides vivid orange ; the whole plumage is of a snowy whiteness ; the head is largely crested with loose unwebbod feathers, nearly four inches in length; another tuft of the same covers the breast; but the most distinguished ornament of this bird is a bunch of long silky plumes, proceeding from the shouldertt, covering the whole back, and extending beyond the tail: the shafts of these are six or seven inches long, extremely elastic, tapering to the extremities, and thinly set with long
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectois