352 BEAK OF THE BITTERN. 



as an air-vessel, that it derives its name Jabiru, which, 

 in the language of the Guarani Indians, in South 

 America, signifies anything inflated by wind ; and they, 

 like the Hurgilas, not only frequent marshes, but rise 

 slowly to immense heights, where they will remain for a 

 considerable time. 



We cannot take leave of the Heron family without 

 putting our readers on their guard against a very dan- 

 gerous instinctive faculty they seem to possess, of depriv- 

 ing their assailants of eye-sight. If wounded they will 

 allow a dog to approach, and then, though apparently 

 insensible, will in an instant, with unerring aim, dart at 

 its eye with a force, rapidity, and certainty, which it is 

 almost impossible to guard against. We remember a 

 gentleman who narrowly escaped ; he had, as he con- 

 ceived, killed a Bittern and deposited it in a large pocket 

 of his shooting-jacket: when fortunately as he was 

 walking on, happening to feel something insinuating 

 itself between his arm and side, he just in time to save 

 his eye caught sight of the beak of the Bittern, which 

 had been only wounded, and was in the act of lancing 

 itself, with the full elastic jerk of its long neck, towards 

 his face. This faculty, however, is not entirely confined 

 to either the Heron or Bittern, it extends itself to other 

 species, as appears from the similar escape of a naval 

 officer on the coast of Africa. " I winged," says he, "a 

 beautiful white Aigrette that was passing over head, and 

 brought it to the ground; when as I was in the act of 

 picking it up it struck at my eye with its beak, and had 

 it not been for my glasses, must inevitably have reduced 

 it to perpetual darkness/' " I have since," he adds, 

 " heard of a gentleman who, under similar circumstances, 

 was not so fortunate ; he still lives, and I shall feel 

 pleasure if, by stating this incident, it should be the 

 means of saving others from so distressing a circum- 

 stance*." 



Of the fifth genus, Anastomus, or Open-Beaks, little 



* CAPTAIN ChvE.v's Voyages. 



