Part 62

11. The Green Heron. Ardea virescens. Resident in the Floridas; disperses over the Union; goes far inland; the greater number return at the approach of winter to the Southern States.

12. The Least Bittern. Ardea exilis. Resident in the Floridas; migrates as far as Maine, and throughout the Western Country, far up the Missouri; returns early in autumn to the Southern States.

You will see from the above statement, that the Herons are almost similar to our Pigeons in respect to the extent of their migrations, which must appear the more remarkable on account of their comparative size, Ardea Herodias and A. virescens corresponding in a great degree to the Columba migratoria and C. carolinensis.

L’AIGRETTE ROUSSE, Buffon, Ois. vol. vii. p. 378. Pl. Enl. 902.

ARDEA RUFESCENS, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 628.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 694.

REDDISH EGRET, Arct. Zool. vol. ii. N. 348.—Lath. Gen. Synops. vol. iii. p. 88.

PEALE’S EGRET HERON, ARDEA PEALII, Ch. Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 96, pl. xxvi. fig. 1, the Young Bird.

Adult Male. Plate CCLVI. Fig. 1.

Bill much longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering, the mandibles nearly equal in size. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, the ridge broad and convex at the base, afterwards very narrow, a groove from the base to near the end, beneath which the sides are convex, the edges thin and sharp, with a notch on each side close to the narrow but obtuse tip. Nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal. Lower mandible with the angle long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line beyond it ascending and very slightly convex, the edges sharp and slightly inflected, the tip very narrow but obtuse.

Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender. Body slender and compressed. Feet very long; tibia elongated and slender, its lower half bare, covered all round with angular scales; tarsus elongated, slender, compressed, covered anteriorly with numerous large scutella, laterally and behind with angular scales. Toes of moderate length, rather slender, scutellate above, reticularly granulate beneath; third toe considerably longer than the fourth, which is in nearly the same proportion longer than the second, the first much shorter, but strong; claws rather small, strong, arched, compressed, obtuse, that of hind toe much larger, the inner edge of that of the third regularly pectinated.

Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare, as is the lower half of the tibia. Plumage soft, generally loose. Feathers of the upper and hind part of the head, and of the neck generally, especially on the sides and at the lower part anteriorly, much elongated very narrow, loose, with linear compact extremities. The feathers of the back are similar but broader at their base, and those from the middle of the back are so elongated as to extend several inches beyond the tail, forming a train of which the filaments are hair-like and rather stiff. Wings of moderate length; primaries broad, tapering, the inner broadly rounded, with an acumen, as are the very broad secondaries; first quill longest, second almost equal, third and fourth slightly shorter, the rest of the primaries rapidly graduated; the inner secondaries extend to nearly an inch of the tip of the wing, when the latter is closed. Tail very short, slightly rounded, of twelve rather weak rounded feathers.

Bill black on its terminal third, the rest and the bare space on the head pale flesh-colour. Iris white. Legs and feet ultramarine blue, the scutella bluish-black, as are the claws. Feathers of the head and neck light reddish-brown, tinged with lilac, the tips fading to brownish-white. Back and wings dull greyish-blue; the long feathers of the train yellowish towards the tips; all the lower parts are greyish-blue paler than that of the upper.

Length to end of tail 31 inches, to end of wings 32; to end of claws 40; extent of wings 46; wing from flexure 14-1/2; tail 4-1/2; bill along the back 4, along the edge of lower mandible 4-11/12, depth at the base 1; bare part of tibia 4-1/12; tarsus 6; middle toe 3, its claw (6-1/2)/12. Weight 1-3/4 lb.

The Female is precisely similar to the Male in colour, but is rather smaller.

Young nearly two years old. Plate CCLVI. Fig. 2.

The bill is coloured as in the adult, as is the iris, but the feet are dark olive-green, the soles greenish-yellow. The plumage presents the same form as in the adult, but is entirely pure white.

In this state the bird has been described as a distinct species under the name of Peale’s Egret Heron, but must now be restored to its proper species, the adult having been described and figured by BUFFON under the name of Aigrette rousse, and named by LATHAM the Reddish Egret.

This species may be distinguished at the first glance from all others that occur in the United States, by the peculiar form of the feathers of the head and neck, which are loose, pendent, and fringe-like, at all seasons, excepting in the young bird before the first moult.

The number of young, as in all other species, much exceeds that of adult or coloured birds; and I have procured them in the proportion of three to one. I carried upwards of fifty specimens of this Heron to Charleston, where, as well as in Philadelphia, New York, and London, I presented some to my friends and to public institutions. I also sent several to my friend P. J. SELBY, Esq. of Twizel, Northumberland, and lately gave a pair to the Museum of the University of Edinburgh. Several specimens, which I presented to His Royal Highness the DUKE of SUSSEX, have been by him given to the British Museum.

THE DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT.

PHALACROCORAX DILOPHUS.

PLATE CCLVII. MALE.

The objects that more especially attract the notice of the voyager, as he draws near the south-west coast of Labrador, are the numerous low islands covered with countless multitudes of birds, that have assembled there for the purpose of reproduction. Some miles farther, you see a ridge of craggy and desolate cliffs, emerging from the sea, and presenting the appearance of a huge granite wall. This forms a partition between the waters of the great St Lawrence and many fine harbours hidden here and there behind it, along with numerous inlets and bays, coves and small creeks, in which the bark of the adventurer may ride in comparative safety. From the hoary summit of this bulwark the view is grand beyond description; valleys richly carpeted with moss and thickets of low shrubs glow in tints of the richest green; clear blue lakes bear on their bosom numerous birds of varied wing, while around their margins the females are seated on their eggs or carefully leading about their young; banks of perennial snow arrest your eye for a moment, and perhaps produce an involuntary chill; onward towards the horizon, mountains heaped confusedly behind mountains, mingle their gloomy tints with those of the cold sky. In that land, man may for weeks, even months, seek for his kind in vain. The deep silence that reigns around him during a calm, seldom fails to bring sadness to his heart, as his eye grows dim with gazing on the wilderness. Should the northern gale issue from its snowy chambers, darkness follows in its train, and should its whole fury pour upon you, melancholy indeed must be your lot.

To the low islands above alluded to, the beautiful Cormorant represented in the plate before you, resorts each spring, for the purpose of breeding. It arrives from the south about the beginning of May, or as soon as the waters of the Gulf are sufficiently free of ice to enable it to procure food. The winter it spends on our eastern coasts, but it rarely proceeds farther south than the Capes of North Carolina, about which it meets its southern friend the Florida Cormorant, on whose dominions, however, it does not venture.

While with us, the Double-crested Cormorants are seen flying in long lines, sometimes forming angles, and passing low over the water, at no great distance from the shore. They enter our large bays, rivers and creeks, going up as far as the tide, but are seldom or never seen fishing in fresh-water. Their stay along the Middle Districts continues from the beginning of October to the middle of April; farther east they are seen a month earlier, and disappear a fortnight later. A good number breed on the Seal Islands off the Bay of Fundy, but the greater part return to Labrador and Baffin’s Bay, where Dr RICHARDSON found this species. To that excellent man and intrepid traveller, we are indebted, among other valuable fruits of his labours, for the first good description of this bird. From his account and the information which I have received from Captain JAMES CLARK ROSS, I believe that it does not go much farther north than the place where it was observed by the first mentioned traveller; and no Cormorants were seen during the late voyage to the Arctic circle. It is probable that neither the Double-crested nor the Florida Cormorants occur in any part of Europe; at least, if they have been described as birds of that quarter of the globe, I can find no account sufficiently correct to enable me to recognise them.

A few miles from one of the entrances of the Harbour of Whapatiguan, is a low and flat island about a mile in length, on which the present species breeds. As we sailed past it, we could easily observe the birds on their nests, all over the rock, which was completely white-washed with their excrement, that emitted a disagreeable odour to a great distance. I had seen several islands near the Harbour of Great Macatina inhabited by these Cormorants, but being anxious to complete the examination of one subject at a time, and knowing that we should see a greater number as we approach the Straits of Belle Isle, I put off the investigation until I should have leisure to prosecute it satisfactorily.

My son, accompanied by the captain and four sailors, sailed for Cormorant Island, on which, however, they found great difficulty in landing, for the surf broke so fearfully as to call into requisition all the judgment and good management of Mr EMERY. The moment they landed, almost all the birds of the island rose on wing, darkening the air, and alighted at some distance on the water in large bodies. They were so shy that it was not without considerable difficulty that ten of them were obtained. At the first shot, hundreds of young ones scrambled out of their nests, and huddled together in packs of fifteen or twenty. When the men approached them, they opened their bills, squeaked, hissed, and puffed in a most outrageous manner; and the noise produced by the multitudes on the island was not merely disagreeable, but really shocking. Some of the nests contained eggs, and the young were of all sizes, from the newly hatched up to those able to fly; none, however, even of the largest, attempted to gain the water, but all preferred hiding themselves in the fissures of the rocks, or behind the nests. It was curious to see them crawl flat on the rock, assisting themselves with their bill, feet and wings, employing the first in the manner of Parrots, and the wings like the oars of a boat or the flappers of turtles. When approached, they curved and twisted their necks in the most curious manner, reminding one of the writhings of a snake, and when seized they muted so profusely as to excite disgust. A dozen or more of different sizes, however, were thrust into a bag, and carried on board the vessel. The materials and dimensions of the nests were noted on the spot, and a hatful of eggs was brought to me.

The Double-crested Cormorant forms its nest of sea-weeds, some sticks, moss, and clods of earth, with grass adhering to them, which it piles up into a solid mass, often as high as three feet from the rock, with a diameter of fifteen or eighteen inches at the top, and of two and a half feet at the base. The whole has an appearance of solidity seldom seen in the nests of water-birds. The nests are placed as near each other as the nature of the ground will permit, and a great number which appeared to have stood out against the winter storms, had been enlarged and repaired that season. Many, however, lay scattered over the rocks, having been demolished by heavy gales or the breaking of the surf during tempests. The whole surface of the rock resembled a mass of putridity: feathers, broken and rotten eggs, and dead young, lay scattered over it; and I leave you to guess how such a place must smell in a calm warm day. The eggs are three or four, average two and a half inches in length by one inch and four and a half eighths in breadth, and have an elongated form. They are covered with a calcareous coating, which is more or less soiled with filth, but when carefully scraped, shews a fine light greenish-blue tint.