138 ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 



slightly curved and pointed, with a denticulated dila- 

 tation 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-feather shorter than the 

 two succeeding ones, which are the longest of the 

 series. 



Thus restricted, the genus is still extremely nume- 

 rous ; for M. Vieillot states it to be composed of no 

 fewer than eighty species. These are distributed by 

 M. Cuvier into six sections or subdivisions, among 

 which the true Herons are principally distinguished by 

 the great length of their legs and neck, the long 

 pendent plumes 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 the tail it measures nearly 

 three feet, of which the tail 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 colour of the whole upper 

 surface of the bird is an ashy gray with somewhat of a 

 bluish tinge. This is deeper on the back of the head, 

 which is likewise ornamented with a dependent crest 

 of narrow blackish 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 into the pure ash-colour of the back, and 

 the latter passing into a deeper shade of ashy gray 

 upon the tail. The wing-coverts 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 



