266 GRALL^E. ARDEAD.E. 



death of a cow or a sheep gave completion to the 

 prophecy." * 



A wounded Bittern fights with desperation, 

 lying on its back and endeavouring to clutch its 

 adversary with its claws, as well as striking vi- 

 gorously with its sharp, formidable beak. Hence, 

 in the days of falconry, when this bird, which 

 was favourite game, was brought down, it was 

 the duty of the falconer to run in quickly, and 

 seizing the beak of the Bittern, to plunge it into 

 the firm ground, to prevent injury to the Falcon ; 

 an operation not without danger, as the Bittern 

 generally aims to strike the eyes. 



The comb-like divisions of the inner edge of 

 the middle claw, which we find in all the Herons, 



have given rise 

 to no little dif- 

 ference of opi- 

 nion on the sub- 



CLAW OP HERON. J"* / ^ ^ 



tended purpose. 



The structure is found in widely different birds, 

 such as the Nightjar among the Fissirostral Pas- 

 seres, and the Frigate-bird among the Pelecanidce. 

 From our own observation, we have no doubt of 

 its object being the freeing of the plumage from 

 insect-parasites. A glance at its structure will 

 shew that no greater power of grasping or of 

 holding a branch is, or can be possessed by a 

 claw having these narrow parallel slits in its edge 

 (for they are not serratures) than by one of the 

 ordinary structure. 



* Anim. Nature, iii. 263, 264. 



