ARDEIDAE 8q 



ated on lofty trees, thongli frequently on low bushes, ivy-covered 

 cliffs, tiat rocks, or reeds and herbage in swamps, is often a large 

 fabric of sticks without lining or with a slight bedding of grass, 

 leaves, and the like, but may be a mere mass of rushes and liags ; 

 the tree-buildini; forms at times resorting to the groimd and 

 vice versa. Bitterns generally crush down the acjuatic vegetation 

 and add softer materials on this substructure, de})Ositing four or 

 five olive-drab eggs ; Ardcfta in some cases does the same, but the 

 eggs are bluish- or greenish-white ; whereas those of the Herons 

 proper are of a greeiiish- or whitish-blue colour of varying depth, 

 and exceptionally amount to six or seven. Butu rides not uncom- 

 monly lays only two. If the first set is removed a second 

 is often produced after a short interval ; but the young remain 

 long in the nest. Incubation lasts from sixteen to thirty days. 

 Herons were of old protected by law, as aftbrding an excellent 

 (piarry for Falcons, while the fiesh was highly esteemed ; when 

 wounded, however, they must be carefully approached, as they use 

 the bill with deadly effect, and aim at the captor's e}'e. In India 

 they are used as decoy-birds with the eyes sewn up. 



The following will sufficiently shew the coloration : the largest 

 species is Ardea goliatli ; Ardctta furnishes the smallest forms. 



Bold nr us stellar is, the Bittern, which bred so lately as 1868 

 in Norfolk, and occurs throughout the warmer parts of the Palae- 

 arctic and the whole of the Ethiopian Eegion, is buff, with Ijlack 

 bars above and streaks below, black crown, nape, and stripes 

 down the side of the neck, and chestnut bands on the primaries. B. 

 Icntiginosus, distinguished l)y the nearly uniform brown primaries, 

 is rarely found in Britain, but inhabits North America, probably 

 meeting aliout Nicaragua with B. pimiatus of tropical South 

 America, which lacks the neck-stripes ; while B. 2JoecUo2')t'ilvs of 

 the Australian Eegion has much of the back brown. The neck- 

 feathers in these l)irds form an elongated ruff. Ardctta. minvta 

 of Central and Southern Europe, Western Asia, and the northern 

 half of Africa, formerly known to have bred in England, is 

 greenish-black, with buff neck, wing-coverts, and under surface, 

 the latter slightly streaked with dusky. These streaks are more 

 decided in other species, which are often greyer, browner, or 

 more ruddy above ; A. cinnamoiaea of the Indian Eegion is 

 almost entirely rufous, while all have a slight head-tuft. A fuller 

 crest marks Zehrilas 2Jumiln^ of northern South America, wherein 



