THE COMMON HERON. 139 



the ground-coloui' of the plumage is a pure white, 

 marked on the fore part of the neck and breast with 

 large longitudinal black drops. The abdomen, upper 

 part of the throat, and legs, are pure white. The 

 naked space between the bill and eyes is of a grayish 

 yellow ; the iris is yellow ; the bill bluish above and 

 yellow beneath ; the legs, which are bare of feathers 

 for two or three inches above the knees, are somewhat 

 flesh-coloured in their upper part and grayish browai 

 below ; and the claw s black. The middle toe, with 

 the addition of its claw, does not measure more than 

 four inches ; and is consequently much shorter than 

 the tarsus, which exceeds six inches in length. Beneath 

 the anterior half of the bill, which is about five inches 

 long, the skin is capable of considerable distension. 

 There is little difference in the colours of the female ; 

 but the young bird has no crest on the head, and its 

 back and wings are of a darker gray. 



The Herons may be regarded as birds of passage, but 

 their stay or departure seems eveiy where to be regu- 

 lated by their means of procuring food. They are no 

 where very aljundant, altliough they are met wnth in 

 almost every part of the northern and temperate regions 

 of the Old Continent, and perhaps also in the New\ 

 In Europe they migrate as far northward as Drontheim, 

 and are found even in Russia and Poland, but they are 

 most common in England, France, and Holland. 



They build their nests, in numerous companies, on 

 lofty trees and more especially oaks, in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of streams and marshes. The nest is 

 of large dimensions, constructed externally of twigs, 

 dry herbs, and reeds, and lined internally with feathers 

 and wool. In this the female deposits her eggs, three 

 or four in number, about the size of those of the common 

 hen, but more elongated, and of a greenish brown colour 



