THE HERON 57 



coverts of the wings are green, spotted with blue. The back is 

 dark green, lower back and rump bright blue. Throat, white ; and 

 under-parts of the body a pale brown colour. The kingfisher 

 frequents the banks of rivers and streams, and usually solitary, 

 perching on the bough of a tree, stump or stone overhanging the 

 water. From this vantage position it dives into the water, 

 secures its prey with its feet, carries it to land, where it kills 

 and swallows the fish entire, the scales and other indigestible parts 

 being afterwards rejected in the form of round balls or masses. 

 The nest is generally found in the banks of rivers, or in other situa- 

 tions near the water's edge, and in holes where the birds disgorge the 

 indigestible portions of their food. On this the eggs are deposited 

 and the female incubates there. The eggs are from four to seven 

 in number, remarkably round, and of pearly whiteness. The food 

 of the kingfisher consists mainly of fish, but it also feeds largely on 

 mollusca, Crustacea, leeches, and water insects, the birds, as beautiful 

 as rare, sometimes breeding in the bank of a small stream where 

 no fish live or are found within a considerable distance. 



The HERON (Ardea cinerea], included in the family Ardeidae 

 (Herons) and sub-family Ardeinae, is about 3 ft. 2 in. in length, 

 the body being exceedingly small, weighing scarcely more than 

 3j Ibs. It is distinguished by having a long bill cleft beneath the 

 eyes, a compressed body, long slender legs, and the wings moderate. 

 The tail is short, rounded and consists of twelve feathers. The 

 plumage, of an ashen colour, is not attractive, but the plumes of 

 the heron were formerly considered as ornaments only to be worn 

 by the noble, and in former times the heron was carefully preserved 

 on account of the excellent sport which it afforded in hawking. 

 The flesh of the young heron was formerly a dish in high repute. 

 Herons are dull birds and are often seen either perched on trees 

 near the water, or wading in search of food. They are very expert 

 fishers, and take their prey either by wading after it where the water 

 is shallow, or by diving from the air when the object of their pursuit 

 appears near the surface of the water. In times of frost and 

 scarcity herons can exist for a long time with a very scanty supply 

 of food, but in favourable weather they gorge themselves with 

 insatiable voracity. They digest an enormous load of food in a 

 short time, and again return to their feeding with new vigour and 

 appetite. It has been asserted that a single heron will destroy 

 15,000 carp in half a year. Though the heron is commonly seen 

 solitary away from the nesting-place, called heronry, the birds pair 

 and build in high trees, sometimes sociably after the manner of 

 rooks. The nest is a flat mass of sticks, and contains five bluish- 

 green eggs. The young differ from the adult in not obtaining their 

 full plumage until the third year. Besides fish, the heron feeds 

 upon lizards, frogs, snakes, toads, rats, mice, water-voles, beetles 

 and other insects. 



