362 CITIZEN BIRD 



Herons are all rather large birds, the smallest of them 

 being over a foot in length, while the largest stand 

 fully four feet high." 



" Quok ! Quok ! " came the cry again, this time just 

 over the cabin. Looking up, the children saw a dark 

 body flying toward the wood belt ; something like a 

 long beak stuck out from its breast in front, and its 

 long legs were stretched out stiff behind, but these 

 were the only details that they could distinguish. 



" I thought Herons had long necks," said Nat ; " but 

 this one doesn't seem to have any neck at all." 



" Ah, but when it flies it folds its long neck, and 

 thus draws its head down between its shoulders, while 

 some of tlie Stork and Crane cousins poke out their 

 heads in flying." 



" Are Storks and Cranes cousins of the Herons ? " 

 asked Dodo. ''I know about Storks — they are in my 

 fairy book. They live in the north country where 

 little Tuk came from, and build their nests on roofs 

 between chimneys, and stand a great deal on one leg in 

 the water looking for frogs. Do Herons nest on roofs 

 and stand on one leg. Uncle Roy?" 



" They do not nest on roofs, but tliey often stand on 

 one leg when Avatching for food, and when sleeping — 

 in fact, they stand so much in this Avay that one leg is 

 often stronger than the otlier, and they most certainly 

 belong to the guild of Wise Watchers. The Black- 

 crowned Night Heron who has just flown over is the 

 most familiar member of his family hereabouts, and 

 quite a sociable bird. He prefers to live the hotel life 

 of a colony, instead of having a quiet home of his own, 

 and so do almost all other members of the Heron 



