438 



ARDEA. HERON. 



The Herons, properly so called, are among the larger 

 and more robust species of the family to "which they give 

 name. Their body is moderately large, but much com- 

 pressed ; the neck very long and of considerable thickness ; 

 the head oblong and much compressed. 



Bill longer than the head, stout, straight, compressed, 

 tapering to a point ; upper mandible with the dorsal line 

 almost straight, the ridge broad and convex at the base, 

 gradually narrowed to the point, the nasal depression narrow- 

 oblong, with a groove extending from it to near the end, the 

 sides convex, the edges sharp, serrulate, with a notch close 

 to the tip, which is very acute ; lower mandible with the 

 angle very long and extremely narrowed, the dorsal line 

 ascending and slightly convex, the sides concave and sloping 

 outwards ; the edges direct, sharp, serrulate ; the tip acumi- 

 nate ; gape-line straight, commencing under the eye. 



Mouth rather narrow, but extensile ; the upper mandible 

 slightly concave, with three longitudinal ridges, the lower 

 deeply concave. Tongue emarginate and papillate at the 

 base, long, slender, trigonal, tapering to a point. (Esophagus 

 very wide in its whole length; proventriculus dilated. 

 Stomach a hemispherical sac, with a round pyloric lobe. 

 Intestine very long and extremely slender ; no cceca, but an 

 oblong sac at the commencement of the rectum ; cloaca large 

 and globular. 



Nostrils linear in the lower and fore part of the nasal 

 membrane. Eyes of moderate size. Aperture of ear small, 

 roundish. 



Feet very long, rather slender. Tibia bare for more than 

 a third of its length, covered with hexagonal scales. Tarsus 

 very long, covered with hexagonal scales, anteriorly with 



