128 ARDEIN.E. ARDEA. 



tremely narrow, the dorsal line ascending and slightly con- 

 vex, the sides concave, the edges direct, sharp, serrulate, 

 the tip acuminate ; gape-line straight. Mouth rather nar- 

 row, but extensile ; tongue long, slender, trigonal, tapering 

 to a point ; oesophagus very wide in its whole length ; pro- 

 ventriculus dilated ; stomach a hemispherical thin sac, with 

 a round pyloric lobe ; intestine very long and extremely 

 slender ; rectum with an oblong coecum ; cloaca large and 

 globular. Nostrils linear. Eyes of moderate size. Aper- 

 ture of ear small, roundish. Legs very long, rather slender ; 

 tibia bare for more than a third, covered with hexagonal 

 scales ; tarsus very long, anteriorly scutellate ; toes very 

 long, scutellate above ; the first large, the second a little 

 shorter than the fourth, which is connected with the third 

 by a basal web ; claws moderate, arched, compressed, acute, 

 that of the middle toe with a serrate inner edge. Plumage 

 soft and full ; feathers on the head elongated and pointed, 

 generally forming a decurved crest ; on the neck moderate, 

 on its fore part below elongated and tapering ; on the fore 

 part of the back much elongated, with close filaments, se- 

 parated only toward the end ; wings large, the outer four 

 quills nearly even ; tail short, nearly even, of twelve fea- 

 thers. 



The species of this genus feed on fishes, frogs, insects, 

 sometimes small mammalia, and young birds ; nestle on trees 

 or bushes, sometimes on the ground, laying three or four 

 broadly elliptical light blue eggs ; have a sedate, slow but 

 not heavy flight ; and are generally shy and suspicious. Two 

 species occur in Britain : one resident, and generally dis- 

 persed, the other an accidental visitant. 



221. ARDEA CINEREA. GREY HERON. 



Adult with the forehead white, a black, pendent, occipital 

 crest, the fore-neck white, with longitudinal black spots, the 

 upper part and sides bluish-grey, the breast black, with a 

 white patch in front, the abdomen and lower tail-coverts 

 white ; the tarsus much longer than the middle toe and 

 claw. Young with the upper part of the head dusky grey, 

 the occipital crest short, the upper parts and sides bluish- 

 grey, the lower white, the fore-neck white with dark spots. 



