Ardea herodias. Lake Umbagog, Maine. 1896. 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 banks 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. 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 attitudes 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. Aug. 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.