14 GRALLATORES. ARDEA. HERON. 



spring from the lower part of the neck are white, or 

 greyish-white. The streak over the eyes, and the oc- 

 cipital plumes (which are sometimes six or eight inches 

 in length) are black, as are also the flanks and feathers 

 on each side of the breast. The feathers of the back 

 and the scapulars are pale grey, long, loose, and acu- 

 minated. The lesser wing-coverts bluish-grey. The 

 quills greyish-black. The tail deep bluish-grey. The 

 bill kingVyellow ; the irides gamboge-yellow. The 

 legs and toes brown, tinged with yellowish-green. The 

 naked part of the tibia yellowish or orange. 



The female resembles the male, except that the tints of 

 her plumage are not quite so pure. 



The young are without the occipital crest ; and the long 

 scapulary feathers that adorn the old birds, as well as 



male, which had been taken during a severe storm. She soon associated 

 with the older male. In summer 1828 she laid three or four eggs (I am 

 not sure which), on the top of a wall next to the mill-pond : these all tum- 

 bled into the water ; for though the birds had carried up a few sticks, they 

 made no proper nest. She then laid one or two on the flower-border be- 

 low the wall, and close by the box-edging : here some eggs were broken 

 by the birds suddenly starting off when alarmed by strangers walking in 

 the garden. We supplied their place by some bantam eggs, and only 

 one heron egg at last remained. Alas ! the poor hen, having strayed to 

 the margin of the mill-pond, was shot by some thoughtless young man 

 with a fowling-piece. The cock continued to sit for several entire days af- 

 ter the death of the hen, but at last tired. He used to sit, when she went 

 off for food. During the whole time of pairing, the cock was very bold, 

 raising his feathers and snapping his bill whenever any one approached." 

 To the foregoing Mr NEILL adds the following curious fact with regard 

 to his male bird, which shews that the Heron is not altogether incapable 

 of swimming, though in its natural or wild state it is seldom obliged to 

 have recourse to this unusual mode of obtaining its prey. " A large old 

 willow tree had fallen down into the pond, and at the extremity, which is 

 partly sunk in the sludge and continues to vegetate, "Water-Hens breed. 

 The old cock Heron swims out to the nest and takes the young if he can. 

 He has to swim ten or twelve feet, where the water is between two and 

 three feet deep. His motion through the water is slow, but his carriage 

 stately. I have seen him fell a rat by one blow on the back of the head, 

 when the rat was munching at his dish of fish." 

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