LONG-LEGGED BIRDS. 191 



alone projects ; the long, thin legs are thrown out 

 straight behind ; and the great, rounded wings flap 

 with slow and ample sweep, disclosing the black ends 

 of the larger flight-feathers. Heronries, like rookeries, 

 often consist of many nests formed of sticks and 

 placed usually in chimps of high trees, where the 

 great, white birds may be seen standing on long, 

 straight legs full in view on the upper, outer branches. 

 The cry is a harsh, loud ' Fraak ! ' 



BITTERN 29 inches ; general colour ruddy-buff, heavily 

 blotched with black above, lightly streaked below ; 

 crown and nape black ; chin white ; bill and legs long, 

 green. A winter visitor to reed-beds. 



AVOCET 17 inches ; therefore about a fourth of the size 

 of a Heron. A rare visitor, chiefly to the east coast of 

 England at the times of the spring and autumn migra- 

 tions ; a white wading bird, long-legged, but with black 

 cap and hind-neck ; wings boldly marked with solid 

 tracts of white and black; bill long, turned upward at 

 the end. 



STILT 13 inches; therefore very much smaller. A 

 white wader, mounted on very long red legs, bub 

 black-winged, and with black on the hind-neck and 

 on the nape ; bill long, straight, pointed, black. A 

 rare straggler. 



BITTERN. Plate 85. 29 inches. General colour 

 ruddy-buff, much obscured by heavy, black blotches 

 above, but streaked more lightly below ; crown and 

 nape black ; chin white ; large ruff of feathers about 

 the neck ; flight and tail feathers tawny, barred across 

 with black ; bill large, pointed, green ; legs long and 

 green. Winter migrant 



Formerly a breeder in Great Britain, the Bittern is 

 now known only as a migrant which returns regularly 



