BEAK OF THE JABIRU. 327 



sidering this dewlap as an air-vessel, that it derives its name 

 Jabiru, which, in the language of the Guarani Indians, in 

 South America, signifies anything inflated by wind ; and they, 

 like the Hurgilas, not only frequent marshes, but rise slowly 

 to immense heights, where they will remain for a considerable 

 time. 



Beak of the Jabiru. 



We cannot take leave of the Heron family without putting 

 our readers on their guard against a very dangerous instinctive 

 faculty they seem to possess of depriving their assailants of 

 eye-sight. If wounded, they will allow a dog to approach, 

 and then, though apparently insensible, will in an instant, 

 with unerring aim, dart at its eye with a force, rapidity, and 

 certainty, which it is almost impossible to guard against. We 

 remember a gentleman who narrowly escaped ; he had, as he 

 conceived, killed a Bittern, and deposited it in a large pocket 

 of his shooting-jacket ; when, fortunately, as he was walking 

 on, happening to feel something insinuating itself between his 

 arm and side, he, just in time to save his eye, caught sight 

 of the beak of the Bittern, which had been only wounded, 

 and was in the act of lancing itself, with the full elastic jerk 

 of its long neck, towards his face. This faculty, however, is 

 not entirely confined to either the Heron or Bittern ; it extends 

 itself to other species, as appears from the similar escape of a 

 naval officer on the coast of Africa. " I winged," says he, 

 " a beautiful white Aigrette that was passing over head, and 

 brought it to the ground ; when, as I was in the act of 

 picking it up, it struck at my eye with its beak, and had it 

 not been for my glasses, must inevitably have reduced it to 

 perpetual darkness." " I have since," he adds, " heard of a 

 gentleman who, under similar circumstances, was not so for- 

 tunate ; he still lives, and I shall feel pleasure if, by stating 



