132 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



Eggs. — Four to six, of a beautiful umnarkecl 

 turquoise-blue. Size about '11 by "6 in. 



Time. — March, April, May, and June, sometimes 

 as late even as July. 



Bemarl's. — Eesident. Notes, a low plaintive 

 cheep -clieep, and a cheerful, though not long 

 sustained, song. Local and other names : Hedge 

 Accentor, Shu file wing, Hedge Warbler, Dunnock, 

 Hempie. Sits closely, and slips away without 

 demonstration. 



HERON, COMMON. 



I)escrij)tio)/ of Parent Birds. — Ijength about 

 thirty-six inches. Beak long, straight, strong, 

 pointed, and dusky in colour, except at the base 

 of the under mandible, where it is yellowish. Irides 

 yellow. Forehead, crown, and cheeks, greyish- 

 white. On the back part of the head the feathers 

 are elongated into a kind of plume, and are bluish- 

 black or dark slaty-blue in colour. Upper surface 

 of body and wing-coverts bluish-grey ; wing-primaries 

 black ; tail-quills cinerous. Neck white, adorned 

 with large longitudinal elongated spots of dark 

 bluish-grey in front. On the lower part of the 

 neck the feathers are elongated, and hang loosely 

 down. Breast, belly, thighs, and under-parts grey- 

 ish-white, streaked with black. Legs and toes 

 dirty yellowish-green ; claws black. 



In the female the plumes are shorter, and her 

 colour duller and less distinctive. 



Situation and Locality. — On the tops of high 

 trees, ledges of cliffs, and in some places even on 

 the ground. The bird has been known to breed in 

 at least forty-one counties of England and Wales, 

 and does so in various suitable parts of Scotland 



