170 THE COMMON HERON 
head, as the case may be, with a most philosophical gravity. They 
are frequently shot; but as they then generally fall into the sea, 
a boat has to be on the alert, or they are soon washed away. The 
plan of lowering a man by means of a rope held by the others, is 
also adopted; but this is most dangerous. The Frigate Pelican 
[The Skua ?] often chases a successful Gannet till the terrified bird 
disgorges its prey, which the pursuer seizes before it reaches the 
water.’ 
‘ A Solan Goose to most people would not afford a delicious meal, 
being a rank, coarse, fishy dish; but many of the poorer classes 
eat them with a relish—nay, as a delicacy—and during the winter 
would fare ill had they not these birds for food.” 
The Gannet lays but one egg; and the young bird is nourished 
on semi-liquid food disgorged by the parent. On its first exclusion 
from the egg its skin is naked, and of a bluish black hue, but is 
soon covered with a white down. Through this the true feathers 
appear, which are black, the adult plumage being pure white. 
For an interesting account of the capture of these birds at St. 
Kilda, the reader is referred to Professor James Wilson’s Voyage 
round the Coast of Scotland. From a calculation once made of 
the number of Gannets consumed by each family in a year, on this 
island, it appeared that the total secured, not taking into account 
a large number which could not be reached for various reasons, 
was 22,600: and this number was considered to be below the 
average, the season being a bad one. 
ORDER HERODIONES 
FAMILY ARDEID: 
THE COMMON HERON 
ARDEA CINEREA 
A crest of elongated bluish black feathers at the back of the head; similar 
feathers of a lustrous white hanging from the lower part of the neck ; 
scapulars similar, silver grey ; forehead, neck, middle of the belly, edge 
of the wings,and thighs, pure white ; back of the head, sides of the 
breast, and flanks, deep black; front of the neck streaked with grey ; 
upper plumage bluish grey; beak deep yellow; irides yellow; orbits 
naked, livid; feet brown, red above; middle toe, claw included, much 
shorter than the tarsus. In young birds the long feathers are absent } 
head and neck ash-coloured ; upper plumage tinged with brown ; lower, 
spotted with black. Length three feet two inches. Eggs uniform sea 
green. 
Tue Heron, though a large bird, measuring three feet in length 
from the point of the beak to the extremity of the tail, and four 
feet and a half in breadth from the tip of one wing to the other, 
