ape BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
striking their prey, especially if they were fishing in 
shallow water. My partially tame one would occa- 
sionally, where the bank was steep and the water 
deep, jump bodily into the water for a fish, and if 
successful swim to shore with it in its mouth; but 
I do not know that this is usual with the bird in its 
wild state. 
In the spring the Herons usually accumulate at 
their favourite breeding stations, or Heronries, in 
considerable numbers. The nests are usually placed 
on high trees, and are made of sticks: they look 
much like exaggerated Rooks’ nests. Occasionally 
also their nests are placed on precipitous rocks, and, 
but still more rarely, amongst reeds and rushes.* 
In the adult bird the beak is yellow; the lore yel- 
lowish green ; irides yellow (the eyes look very much 
forward, being set rather at angle to than level with 
the sides of the face); the forehead is white, over 
the eye, the top of the head, and the elongated 
feathers forming the crest, which reach nearly half 
way down the back of the neck, are black; chin, 
cheeks and upper part of the neck white; lower part 
of the back of the neck slightly tinged with grey ; 
back, scapulars, wing-coverts and tertials bluish 
grey; from the back and scapulars arise some very 
long narrow drooping feathers of a light grey, almost 
white; the primary quills are black; the feathers on 
* Yarrell, vol. 11., p. 278. 
