THE HERON. 315 



shells thrown up by the sea, so little above high-water mark, 

 that in high spring-tides they are frequently swept away. 

 When taken young, they may be easily tamed, and we 

 have been surprised that they are not more frequently 

 introduced into our pleasure-grounds. We remember seeing 

 very considerable numbers of them, some years ago, on the 

 lawn of the Pavilion at Brighton, collected by order of his 

 late Majesty George the Fourth, where they were running 

 about with the tameness and familiarity of poultry. Nothing 

 could be more ornamental than their smart pieballed glossy 

 coats, in contrast with their long, bright, orange beaks and 

 legs, and crimson irides. 



TABLE XXIII. (See page 20.) 



Order 5. WADERS. Tribe 2. CULTIROSTRES, (Cutting Beaks,) 

 so called from the Latin words, cutter, a knife, and rostrum, a 

 beak. 



THIS tribe contains the Herons, Cranes, &c., known by their 

 thick, long, and strong cutting bills. The first genus 

 consists of the Heron, properly so called, which differs from 

 the others chiefly in the middle toe being toothed or pec- 

 tinated, and in having their beaks cleft under the eyes. In 

 other respects, they in so many points resemble the second 

 and third genus namely, Storks and Cranes, that they may 

 be all looked upon as forming one family. With the Heron, 

 however, we are most familiar, as he alone stays with us all ' 



Serrated Claw of the Heron. 



the year round ; and he may be often seen standing like a 

 grey statue, motionless on one leg, up to his knees in water, 

 in some retired spot, watching for fish, the very picture of 



