Bians. 323 



CHAP. V. 



OF THE HERON, AND ITS VARIETIES.* 



Birds of the Crane, the Stork, and the Heron kind, bear a 

 very strong affinity to each other : and their differences are not 



* Cranes are distinguished by having- the head bald ; Storks have the or- 

 bits round the eyes naked; and Herons have the middle claw serrated in- 

 ternally. Herons comprehend the species knouTi under the names of 

 Egrets, Bitterns, Crab-eaters, &c. In the genus Ardea, now limited to the 

 Herons and Bitterns, the bill is considerably longer than the head, sharp at 

 the point, straight or very slightly curved, compressed laterally, cleft to 

 the very base, and frequently armed at the edges with sharp denticulations ; 

 the upper mandible is marked on either side by a longitudinal groove, in 

 which the linear nostrils are perforated near the base of the bill ; from tho 

 bill to the eyes extends a space destitute of feathers ; the tarsi r.re long and 

 covered with large scales ; the legs naked for some distance above the 

 knee-joints ; the toes long and slender, the outer one united to the middle 

 by a membranous expansion, and the posterior attached so low do«Ti as to 

 allow of its resting its whole length upon the ground ; the anterior claws 

 of moderate length, slightly curved and pointed, with a denticulated dilata. 

 tion on the inner side of that of the middle toe ; the posterior claw very 

 long, arched, and pointed; and the wings long, with the first quill-feathors 

 shorter than the two succeeding ones, which are the longest of the 

 series. Thus restricted, the genus is extremely numerous ; for M. Vieillot 

 states it to be composed of no fewer than eighty species. These are dis- 

 tributed by M. Cuvier into six sections or subdivisions, among which tho 

 true Herons are principally distinguished by the great length of their legs 

 and neck, the long pendant i)Iumes of the lower part of the neck, and the 

 perfectly straight direction of the bill. 



The Common Heron is, as its name implies, one of the most frequent and 

 best known species of the group. It is about three feet four inches in length, 

 measuring from the end of the anterior toes to the extremity of the bill ; 

 from the bill to tho tail it measures ne;u-ly three feet, of which the tiiil forms 

 about eight inches ; and the expanse of its wings exceeds five feet. It does 

 not, however, weigh more than three pounds and a half, and its buoyancy 

 In flight is consequently very considerable. The general coh)ur of the 

 whole upper surface of the bird is an a.shy gray with somewhat of a bluish 

 tinge. This is deeper on tho back of the head, which is likewise ornamented 

 with a dcpendert crest of narrow blai'kish feathers, three inches or more in 

 length, overshadowing the back of the neck. The upper part and sides of 

 the neck are of a light gray, running int<i (lie pure ash-colour of the back, 

 and the latter passing into a deeper shade of :ushy gray upon the tail. Tho 

 ■n ing-covert-s are nearly of the same colour, with a slight tinge of reddish ; 

 and the quill-feathers black with a bluish gloss. On the under parts the 

 ground-colour of the plumage is a pure white, marked on the fore part of 

 the neck and breast with large longitudiiuil black drops. The abdomeiv 



