COMMON HERON. 123 



plumes of the neck, breast, and back, elon- 

 gated into narrow points during the breeding 

 season ; head generally crested. 



Types, A. cinerea, herpdias, &c. Cosmopolite. 



Note. Often gregarious during the season of 

 incubation. Breed on trees. 



THE COMMON HERON. 



Ardea cinerea. L 

 VIGNETTE. 



Ardea cinerea, Linn. Heron cendre*, Temm., $c+ Common 

 Heron of British authors. 



THIS beautiful bird, and picturesque accompa- 

 niment, either to the finished park or wild land- 

 scape, is very generally distributed over the British 

 Islands. When the sport of hawking was in 

 reputation, the Heron was a chosen bird to fly at ; 

 it held a place in the game laws, and its capture 

 or destruction was severely punished. By a few 

 it was esteemed for the table, and by those who 

 believed in the " mysteries" of angling, its fat 

 was Bought after as an ingredient in the pastes 

 and compositions, prepared as baits for that pur- 



