2058 HERONS, STORKS, AND IBISES 



gray, and the long loose plumes on the front of the neck externally white and inter- 

 nally black, frequently with reddish shaft stripes. The iris is yellow, the lore 

 green, the upper mandible black, the lower mandible greenish yellow at the tip and 

 many colored at the base, while the legs and feet are black. This heron is widely 

 distributed over Africa; and in 1845-46 numerous specimens were obtained by 

 Blyth in the market at Calcutta, since which date, according to Mr. Hume, there 

 is no definite record of its occurrence in India, although it may have been seen in 

 Ceylon. 



Water of every kind, from the sea marge to the mountain stream, forms the 

 favorite haunt and hunting ground of the herons, and there the common species 

 may be seen standing alone and silent, knee-deep in the flood, watching patiently 

 for a passing fish, with its head drawn back and ready to strike with unerring aim 

 at a moment's notice. Although the chief food of these birds consists of fish, all 

 kinds of water animals, not too large for their capacities, are captured easily, among 

 them being frogs, snakes, water voles, young waterfowl, crustaceans, insects, and 

 worms. The usual time for fishing is early in the morning and late in the even- 

 ing, while on moonlight nights the business is continued till a later hour. In 

 spite of its extreme voraciousness, the heron is not considered a wholly un- 

 welcome visitor to trout streams, on account of the number of voles and coarse 

 fish it destroys. Mostly solitary during the winter, the common heron assemble 

 in the early spring for nesting in large numbers; the "heronry" being generally 

 situated in tall trees, and occupied for generation after generation. Heronries, like 

 the well-known one at Cressy Hall near Spalding, have been so often described, 

 that it will be unnecessary to repeat the details here. It may be observed, how- 

 ever, that the nest, which is of large size, and relatively flat and wide, is formed of 

 sticks and lined with twigs, fibres, and grass; and that the three or four eggs are 

 bluish green in color. While the hen is sitting, the male bird takes his stand 

 during his hours of rest on a branch hard by, where he may be seen maintaining 

 his position in the face of a gale. Both parents take a part in feeding the young, 

 and after the first brood is able to take care of itself a second clutch of eggs is laid. 

 In English heronries the nests are commonly built in oaks, elms, or wych-elms, but 

 in Kashmir the magnificent chunars or plane trees are the favorite breeding resorts 

 of these birds. Occasionally the nests are built on rocky cliffs overgrown with ivy 

 or low shrubs. The alarm cry of the heron is the well-known hoarse crank, crank, 

 but in the breeding season the note is more prolonged. In Sind, where the common 

 heron is very numerous, it is employed by the natives as a decoy bird for other 

 waterfowl. "About every fisherman's village," writes Mr. Hume, "hundreds 

 may be seen perched about on the boats, on stacks of brushwood thrown into the 

 water, and on poles, perfectly motionless, and more like stuffed than living birds. 

 The eyelids of all are sewn up; they dare not move, poor things, and, wherever 

 they are placed for the day. there they remain immovable. Generally they are 

 lightly tethered by one leg, but I saw several, perhaps old prisoners, in no way 

 tied." Occasionally, a bird gets loose and flies skyward in the usual circling man- 

 ner, and in such cases they are never known to return, but wander forth to perish 

 miserably from hunger. 



