14 GRALLATORES. ARDEA. Heron. 
spring from the lower part of the neck are white, or 
greyish-white. The streak over the eyes, and the oc- 
cipital plumes (which are sometimes six or eight inches 
in length) are black, as are also the flanks and feathers 
on each side of the breast. The feathers af the back 
and the scapulars are pale grey, long, loose, and acu- 
minated. The lesser wing-coverts bluish-grey. The 
quills greyish-black. The tail deep bluish-grey. The 
bill king’s-yellow ; the irides gamboge-yellow. The 
legs and toes brown, tinged with yellowish-green. The 
naked part of the tibia yellowish or orange. 
The female resembles the male, except that the tints of 
her plumage are not quite so pure. 
The young are without the occipital crest; and the long 
scapulary feathers that adorn the old birds, as well as 
male, which had been taken during a severe storm. She soon associated 
with the older male. In summer 1828 she laid three or four eggs (I am 
not sure which), on the top of a wall next to the mill-pond: these all tum- 
bled into the water ; for though the birds had carriec\ up a few sticks, they 
made no proper nest. She then laid one or two on she flower-border be- 
low the wall, and close by the box-edging: here some eggs were broken 
by the birds suddenly starting off when alarmed by str. ngers walking in 
the garden. We supplied their place by some bantam eggs, and only 
one heron egg at last remained. Alas! the poor hen, having strayed to 
the margin of the mill-pond, was shot by some thoughtless young man 
with a fowling-piece. The cock continued to sit for several entire days af- 
ter the death of the hen, but at last tired. He used to sit, when she went 
off for food. During the whole time of pairing, the cock was ver bold, 
raising his feathers and snapping his bill whenever any one apprc ched.” 
To the foregoing Mr Neixu adds the following curious fact wit); regard 
to his male bird, which shews that the Heron is not altogether iacapable 
of swimming, though in its natural or wild state it is seldom cbliged to 
have recourse to this unusual mode of obtaining its prey. “ A, large old 
willow tree had fallen down into the pond, and at the extremity, which is 
partly sunk in the sludge and continues to vegetate, Water-F ‘ens breed. 
The old cock Heron swims out to the nest and takes the youn ; if he can. 
He has to swim ten or twelve feet, where the water is between two and 
three feet deep. His motion through the water is slow, but, his carriage 
stately. I have seen him fell a rat by one blow on the back) of the head, 
when the rat was munching at his dish of fish.” | 
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