The Herons. 393 



and sharp-pointed beaks, with which they can transfix their prey, 

 or seize it in shallow water, the various members of this truly 

 elegant family roam wherever marsh, lake, river or brook offers- 

 a suitable fishing ground : and there they may be seen standing 

 motionless in shallow water, the very emblems of patience, 

 carefully watching till the prey they seek comes within reach of 

 their powerful beak, which they dart with unerring precision on 

 the hapless victim. Many of the true Herons are adorned with 

 elongated flowing plumes, which spring from the back of the 

 head, the neck, and the back ; the occipital crest is composed 

 of soft loose pendant silky feathers ; and the dorsal plumes have 

 long hair-like webs or barbs, all of which give an air of 

 elegance and finish to these gracefully formed birds. Notwith- 

 standing the immense length of their wings, their flight is heavy ; 

 and as they flap slowly overhead to and from their hunting 

 grounds, their progress seems slow, and the exertion laborious. 

 And yet on occasion, or when prompted by fear, they can show 

 great speed ; but the race seems somewhat indolent and disin- 

 clined for unnecessary exertion. During their progress on the 

 wing, their neck is bent back, so that the head rests upon the 

 shoulders ; and the long legs are extended behind as a 

 counterpoise to preserve the balance of the body ; thus the 

 Herons present a peculiar appearance in their flight, and may 

 readily be distinguished at a great distance. There is a popular 

 delusion still prevalent amongst the ignorant (however ridiculous 

 it may seem), that the Herons when sitting on their nests project 

 their legs through holes formed for that purpose at the bottom : 

 now, not to mention the very awkward and uncomfortable, not to 

 say impossible position which the poor bird would thus be 

 condemned to assume, I will merely point out that the thighs 

 of the Heron being of a length exactly proportioned to that of the 

 legs, the bending of the knee causes the leg to recede sufficiently 

 towards the tail to allow the feet to come to the centre of 

 the body (as has been most ably demonstrated by Mr. Water- 

 ton in his essay on the Heron) ; and therefore it is not one whit 

 more irksome to the Heron to perform its task of incubation after 



