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fea-fowls commonly breed ; and where ifi great 

 bodies they are charaBeriJiic, 



Among the foHtary birds, which frequent 

 the eftuaries of rivers, the hern, and the 

 cormorant are of too much confequence to be 

 omitted. 



The form, in which the hern contracts his 

 long neck in flying — his out-ftr etched legs — 

 the folemn flapping of his wings — his eafy 

 deliberation in taking the ground — the blueifli 

 tint of his plumes, foftening into white — and 

 his patient, and attentive pofliure, as he ftands 

 fifhing on the fliore — are all, circumftances 

 as far as they go, pidurefque. His hoarfe note 

 too, at paufmg intervals, as he paflJes through 

 the air, tho harfh and difcordant when un- 

 aided by it's proper accompaniments, like 

 other notes of the fame kind, when the fcenes 

 of nature ad in concert with it, hath it's 



full energy, and effedt. 1 call the hern a 



folitary bird, becaufe his common habits, and 

 manner of feeking his food, are folitary : we 

 feldom fee more than two in company ; tho, 

 like the rook, he breeds in large focieties. 



Nor 



