JStcttomtrr? at 



309 



long bristly feathers : cere, irides, and edges 

 of the eyelids, yellow : the upper parts of 

 the plumage bluish gray, mixed with light 

 tinges of rusty ; the breast and under-coverts 

 of the wings white, the former streaked with 

 reddish brown, and the latter marked with 

 bars of the same : the wings and tail are a 

 bluish-gray, variegated with black ; and the 

 legs are long, slender, and yellow. The 

 Hen-Harrier feeds on birds and reptiles ; it 

 flies low, skimming along the surface of the 

 ground in search of prey, and is extremely 

 destructive to young poultry and the fea- 

 thered game. It makes its nest on the 

 ground, and lays four eggs of a reddish 

 colour, with a few white spots. 



HEPATTJS. A beautiful genus of Crus- 

 tacea found in South America, and so named 

 from its liver-coloured marking. The genus 

 is allied to Calappa, and belongs to the same 

 family. 



IIEPIALID^J. A family of Lepidopter- 

 ous insects, in the section HETEKOCEKA 

 (corresponding with the first group of La- 

 treille's NOCTUKNA). It is distinguished by 

 having the antennaj very short and filiform, 

 never feathered to the tip ; the spiral tongue 

 either very short or obsolete ; and the 

 palpi also generally obsolete ; the wings 

 elongated, and deflexed in repose ; the ab- 

 domen also elongated, its extremity being 

 attenuated into a long ovipositor, capable of 

 being withdrawn, or introduced into the 

 crevices of the bark of trees, &c. The cater- 

 pillars are sixteen-footed fleshy grubs ; and 

 feed upon the roots of vegetables or the 

 wood of standing trees : when full grown, 

 they construct a cocoon of the refuse of what 

 they have been feeding upon. The chrysalis 

 is armed with transverse rows of fine reflexed 

 spines on the abdominal segments, which 

 assist the insect whilst making its efforts to 

 emerge from its confinement and assume the 

 perfect state. The Hepialidce are called 

 Sicifts, from the rapidity of their flight, 

 which takes place during the twilight. Some 

 of the species are very remarkable, particu- 

 larly HEPIALUS VIKESCENS, a large spe- 

 cies from New Zealand, described by Mr. 

 Doubleday. The caterpillar of this is very 

 frequently attached by a fungus ; which en- 

 tirely converts it into a vegetable substance, 

 the fructification and its pedicel projecting 

 considerably. This fungus is the Sphwria 

 RobertsiofH.ook.er (S. erucarumofMuls&nt.') 

 Among the most striking Hepialidas of this 

 country are Hepialus HumuH, or the Ghost 

 Moth, and Cossns lignipcrda, or the Goat 

 Moth [which see]. 



HEPIOLUS. [See GHOST-MOTH.] 



HERMIT CRAB. The name given to 

 different species of the family Paijuridce, 

 which occupy empty shells, in which they 

 protect their soft and otherwise easily injured 

 tails. [See CRAB : PAGURUS.] 



i HERON. (Ardea.) Though birds of the 

 crane, the stork, and the Heron kind, have 



I a strong affinity to each other, the Heron 

 may be distinguished by its smaller size, its 

 longer bill, and particularly by the middle 



claw on each foot, which is serrated, for the 

 better seizing and securing its slippery prey. 

 Herons reside on the banks of lakes and 

 rivers, or in marshy places : their food con- 

 sists of fishes and their fry, frogs, and field 

 mice, as well as all sorts of insects, snails, 

 and worms. They build in large societies 

 in the same place ; and when they fly, their 

 neck is contracted and folded over their 

 back, and their legs are extended. 



The COMMON HERON (Ardea cinerea) is 

 remarkably light in proportion to its bulk, 

 scarcely weighing three pounds and a half, 

 though its length is upwards of three feet, 

 and its extended breadth above five. The 

 bill is six inches long, straight, pointed, and 

 strong ; the upper mandible is of a yellowish 

 horn colour, the under one yellow : the fore- 

 head, neck, middle of the belly, edge of the 

 wing, and the thighs, are of a pure white; the 

 occiput, the sides of the breast,and those of the 

 body, of a deep black : the fore part of the 

 neck is adorned with large longitudinal spots 

 of black and gray ; the back and wings are 

 blue gray. A bare greenish skin is extended 

 from the beak beyond the eyes, the irides of 



which are yellow, giving them a fierce and 

 piercing aspect. The back part of the head 

 is ornamented with several elongated narrow 



black feathers, the two middle of which are 

 upwards of eight inches in length ; the whole 

 forming an elegant pendent crest ; the fea- 

 thers of the scapulars are also elongated, 

 and fall over the back in fine disunited 

 plumes. The tail is composed of twelve short 

 cinereous feathers ; the legs are of a dirty 

 green colour, long, and bare above the knees; 

 and the inner edge of the middle claw is 

 finely serrated. The female is destitute of 

 the long crest of the male, having only a 

 short plume of dusky feathers ; and in 

 general her plumage is gray : the same re- 

 marks are also nearly applicable to the 

 young birds. In the breeding season they 

 congregate in large societies, and, like the 

 rooks, build their nests on trees, with sticks, 

 lined with dried grass, wool, and other warm 

 materials. The female lays from four to 

 six eggs, of a pale greenish blue colour. 



This bird commits great devastation in 

 ponds and shallow waters. As a proof of its 

 appetite, it is asserted by Willoughby and 

 others, that a single Heron will destroy fifty 

 small roach and dace, one day with another. 

 Though it generally takes its prey by wad- 

 ing into the water, and waiting patiently 

 for its approach, it frequently also catches 

 it whilst on the wing ; but this is only in 

 shallow waters, where it is able to dart with 

 more certainty than in the deep ; for in this 

 case, though the fish does at the first sight 

 of its enemy descend, yet the bird, with its 

 long beak and legs, instantly pins it to the 

 bottom, and there seizes it securely. In 

 general, the Heron is seen taking his gloomy 

 stand by the side of a lake, as if meditating 

 mischief, motionless, and gorged with plun- 

 der. His usual attitude on such occasions is 

 that of sinking his long neck between his 

 shoulders, and keeping his head turned on 

 one side, as if viewing the water more 

 ll of hi 



intently. When the call 



lunger returns, 



