HERON . 243 



nearly straight beak, of which the edges are sHghtly serrated near the 

 tip. In the possession of a crest on the crown of the head, the true 

 herons resemble the members of some of the other groups. From all 

 other members of the group the heron, par excellence, often designated 

 the common heron, may be distinguished by the middle toe and its 

 claw being shorter than the shank or first segment of the leg, by the 

 crown of the head being white in the adult (grey in the young), and 

 the black crest. The only bird with which in this country it could 

 possibly be confounded would be the rare purple heron. No seasonal 

 change of plumage takes place in this well-known bird, which is con- 

 sequently of the same colour at all times of the year. To describe 

 such a familiar and unmistakable species may appear almost waste of 

 space ; but for the sake of uniformity it seems preferable that some- 

 thing should be mentioned with regard to its colouring. In adults, 

 then, the general tone of the upper-parts is clear French grey, except 

 for the white forehead and cheeks, the bluish-black crest and band 

 above the eye, the black quills, shoulder-patch, and flank-stripe, the 

 black-streaked white front of the neck, and the pure white under-parts. 

 In addition to the two streamer-like feathers forming the head-crest, 

 there is considerable lengthening of the plumage at the base of the 

 neck, and also in the scapular and inner secondary regions. A fine cock 

 heron will measure just a yard in length ; but when he is put in the 

 scales he is a disappointing bird, being little more than a walking 

 skeleton, weighing only from about 5 to 5:^ lbs. when adult, while 

 a full-grown young will scale not more than between 3 and 3^ lbs. 

 The hen is somewhat inferior both in size and weight to her partner, 

 and has also a rather shorter crest. In birds of the year the crest is 

 still shorter, and the long plumes at the base of the neck are lacking ; 

 while the general tone of the whole plumage is duller, with a slight 

 tinge of brown on the upper-parts. The nestling is a curious-looking 

 fluffy object, scantily clothed with long hair-like yellow down. 



The range of the heron is very extensive, comprising the greater 

 part of the Old World, and the breeding-area including Europe and 

 a large portion of Asia south of latitude 6o\ Even India and Ceylon 

 come within the limits of the breeding-area ; and in Kashmir there 

 are several large heronries in the magnificent plane, or chunar trees 

 which form such a characteristic feature of that beautiful valley. 

 Eastward of India the species becomes, however, rarer, and although 

 not uncommon in Burma, in the Malay Peninsula it appears to be 

 unknown, while only stragglers have been recorded from Borneo and 

 Australia. In winter, herons from the more northern parts of the 



