Their Eggs and Nests. 209 



size. This, when first laid, is white or bluish-white 

 (the colour being due to an incrustation similar to that 

 of the Cormorant's egg), but soon becomes soiled and 

 stained. 



ORDEE.— HERODIONES. 



FAMILY I.— ARDEID^. 



COMMON HERON— (^r^^« cinered). 

 Hern, Heronshaw, Heronseugh. — It would have 

 been no light matter once to have molested a Heron. 

 Those birds were " preserved " with a strictness we 

 scarcely can imagine even in these days of game-pre- 

 serves. They were the peculiar game of royal and 

 noble personages. Now, however, the case is widely 

 different, and probably not one Heron in a hundred 

 can now be met with as compared with the days of 

 falconry. It is a strange odd sight to see a Heron 

 balancing himself on the topmost twig of some fir- 

 tree, and succeeding after a few uneasy motions of 

 body and wings in poising himself. The Heron some- 

 times breeds on precipitous rocks, but much more 

 commonly on trees, — generally trees of large size, and 

 commonly oaks or firs. It is not a solitary builder, 

 but like the Rook forms a community, and frequents 

 the same tree or clump of trees through successive 

 years for many generations. Each nest is of large 

 size, and composed of sticks with a lining of wool. 

 Four or ^^^^ eggs are usually deposited, of an uniform 

 pale green colour, A few nests are said to have been 



o 



