THE HERONS, BITTERNS, AND STORKS. 



227 



the last, the crown and tail conspicuously black, the face 

 and neck reddish. 



Having a liking for the inoffensive bittern, I stretch 

 a point and treat it as a regular spring visitor, though 

 it is to be feared that the wish is father to 

 the thought, and that in the greater part of 

 these islands, if not throughout, its visits are nowadays 



* Bittern. 



somewhat irregular, and the hope of its once more estab- 

 lishing itself as a resident is a vain one indeed. So 

 large a bird is such a pleasant mark for the indifferent 

 shot who could not hope to bag smaller fowl. Its long 

 green legs would alone distinguish it from all our other 

 birds, and it has further a conspicuous ruff on the 

 neck. The general plumage is brownish, but the crown 

 is black, and there is a black bar on the wing. The ex- 



