288 BRITISH BIRDS. 



of the breast powder-downs and rubbed it gently up and 

 down. When the bill was withdrawn the lower mandible 

 was seen to have a dull bluish- white appearance against 

 the dark background of muddy sand. It preened the 

 feathers of the foreneck and breast, drawing out each long 

 feather by a slow movement of the bill from base to apex 

 and arranging the feathers parallel to one another. It 

 smoothed the anterior margins of the wings, and went 

 gradually over the whole of the lower plumage, the 

 shoulders and the wing coverts. During this lengthy 

 operation it had frequent recourse to the breast powder- 

 downs and to the inguinal areas latterly. The bill 

 gradually became yellow and glistening during the preen- 

 ing of the feathers, and after being in the region of a 

 powder-down a bluish-white colour appeared by contrast. 

 At the end of the general preening the Heron pressed the 

 bill into the region of the right breast powder-patch, 

 and rubbed the bill slowly up and down about twenty 

 times, the greatest number of times I had seen yet at a 

 single apphcation. When the bill emerged its dull, blue- 

 white appearance was plain. Thus dusted, the Heron 

 applied its fore-neck and under mandible to the outer 

 surface of the right wing, beginning at the shoulder and 

 drawing the neck and bill gently over the coverts towards 

 the remiges four or five times. When this was done the 

 bill was bright yellow in colour and glistening in appear- 

 ance. After some further arranging of the feathers on 

 the anterior margin of the right wing, the Heron drew 

 in its plumage and walked back to the channel. 



October 25th — mild and sunny. Two Herons alighted 

 in a pool on the shore and, in a little while, began to preen. 

 Their actions were similar to those already described. 

 Several times one of them reached over to the area of the 

 right femoral powder-patch and rubbed its bill there. 

 Once or twice they dipped their bills in the sea-water 

 before preening the feathers. They spent about half-an- 

 hour at this occupation and then went inland. Their 

 bills were yellowish in colour when they came. During 



