THE HERON. 



181 



other: and their differences are not easily dis- 

 cernible. As for the crane and the stork, they 

 differ rather in their nature and internal confor- 

 mation, than in their external figure ; but still 



Storks have the orbits round the eyes naked ; and Herons 

 have the middle claw serrated internally. Herons com- 

 prehend the species known under the names of Egrets. 

 Bitterns, Crab-eaters, &c. In the genus Ardea, now 

 limited to the Herons and Bitterns, the bill is consider- 

 ably longer than the head, sharp at the point, straight or 

 very slightly curved, compressed laterally, cleft to the 

 very base, and frequently armed at the edges with sharp 

 denticulations ; the upper mandible is marked on either 

 side by a longitudinal groove, in which the linear nostrils 

 are perforated near the base of the bill ; from the bill to 

 the eyes extends a space destitute of feathers ; the tarsi 

 are long and covered with large scales ; the legs naked 

 for some distance above the knee-joints ; the toes long 

 and slender, the outer one united to the middle by a 

 membranous expansion, and the posterior attached so low 

 down as to allow of its resting its whole length upon the 

 ground ; the anterior claws of moderate length, slightly 

 curved and pointed, with a denticulated dilatation on the 

 inner side of that of the middle toe ; the posterior claw 

 very long, arched, and pointed ; and the wings long, 

 with the first quill-feathers shorter than the two succeed- 

 ing ones, which are the longest of the series. Thus 

 restricted, the genus is extremely numerous ; for M. 

 Vieillot states it to be composed of no fewer than eighty 

 species. These are distributed by M. Cuvier into six 

 sections or subdivisions, among which the true herons 

 are principally distinguished by the great length of their 

 legs and neck, the long pendant plumes of the lower 

 part of the neck, and the perfectly straight direction of 

 the bill. 



The Common Heron is, as its name implies, one of 

 the most frequent and best known species of the group. 



It is about three feet four inches in length, measuring 

 from the end of the anterior toes to the extremity of the 

 bill ; from the bill to the tail it measures nearly three 

 feet, of which the tail forms about eight inches ; and 

 the expanse of its wings exceeds five feet. It does not, 

 however, weigh more than three pounds and a half, and 

 its buoyancy in flight is consequently very considerable. 

 The general colour of the whole upper surface of the bird 

 is an ashy gray with somewhat of a bluish tinge. This 

 is deeper on the back of the head, which is likewise orna- 

 mented with a dependant crest of narrow blackish feathers 

 three inches or more in length, overshadowing the back of 

 the neck. The upper part and sides of the neck are of a 

 light gray, running into the pure ash-colour of the back, 

 and the latter passing into a deeper shade of ashy gray 

 upon the tail. The wing-coverts are nearly of the same 

 colour, with a slight tinge of reddish ; and the quill-fea- 

 thers black with a bluish gloss. On the under parts the 

 ground-colour of the plumage is a pure white, marked 



they may be known asunder, as well by their 

 colour as by the stork's claws, which are very 

 peculiar, and more resembling a man's nails 

 than the claws of a bird. The heron may be 



on the fore part of the neck and breast with large longi- 

 tudinal black drops. The abdomen, upper part of the 

 throat, and legs, are pure white. The naked space be- 

 tween the bill and eyes is of a grayish yellow ; the iris is 

 yellow ; the bill bluish above and yellow beneath ; the 

 legs, which are bare of feathers for two or three inches 

 above the knees, are somewhat flesh-coloured in their 

 upper part and grayish brown below ; and the claws 

 black. The middle toe, with the addition of its claw, 

 does not measure more than four inches ; and is conse- 

 quently much shorter than the tarsus, which exceeds six 

 inches in length. Beneath the anterior half of the bill, 

 which is about five inches long, the skin is capable of 

 considerable distention. There is little difference in 

 the colours of the female ; but the young bird has no 

 crest on the head, and its back and wings are of a darker 

 gray. 



The herons may be regarded as birds of passage, but 

 their stay and departure seems everywhere to be regu- 

 lated by their means of procuring food. They are no 

 where very abundant, although they are met with in 

 almost every part of the northern and temperate regions 

 of the old continent, and perhaps also in the new. In 

 Europe they migrate as far northward as Drontheim, 

 and are found even in Russia and Poland, but they are 

 most common in England, France, and Holland. They 

 build their nests, in numerous companies, on lofty trees, 

 and more especially oaks, in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of streams and marshes. The nest is of large 

 dimensions, constructed externally of twigs, dry herbs, 

 and reeds, and lined internally with feathers and wool. 

 In this the female deposits her eggs, three or four in 

 number, about the size of those of the common hen, but 

 more elongated, and of a greenish brown colour without 

 spots. The male does not share in the task of incuba- 

 tion ; but flies abroad in search of food, while the female 

 tends her charge at home. They are particularly fond 

 of the society of ravens, but the latter often carry otf 

 their eggs ; and the falcons, weasels, and martens, are 

 dangerous enemies to their young. When the young 

 are hatched, both parents assist in providing them with 

 food until they are able to fly, and bring them abund- 

 ance of fish for their support. But as soon as they be- 

 come capable of a continued flight they are driven from 

 the nest, and proceed each in a separate direction to 

 seek its own subsistence wherever it may be most plenti- 

 fully procured. The old birds quit their nests about the 

 middle of August, and wander from stream to stream, 

 and from lake to lake, forming themselves into gradually 

 increasing bands as the colder season approaches. To- 

 wards the beginning of September they are often met 

 with in companies of from twenty to thirty in a spot ; 

 but as soon as the frost sets in, they begin their migra- 

 tion to the southward, taking their flight by moonlight, 

 like the cranes, but not with the same order and regu- 

 larity. They return about the latter end of March, when 

 the severity of the season is no longer to be dreaded. 

 Some few, however, remain throughout the winter, espe- 

 cially when the weather is variable, and are occasion- 

 ally seen, in company with the wild ducks, at the com- 

 mencement of a sudden thaw. They usually disappear 

 with the return of frost. Their food consists principally, 

 like that of most of the birds of the wading order, of fresh- 

 water fishes, but more particularly of the young fry of 

 carp and trout. In pursuit of these they wade gently 

 into the water, where the fish abound, and stand in it 

 up to their knees, (or rather to their knee, for they rest 

 only on one foot,) with their heads drawn in by the fold- 

 ing of their long necks upon the breast, quietly watching 



