484 CL.^SS AVES. 



whose size is smaller than that of the herons, but whose pro- 

 portions vary considerably. 



This division, as may be seen by the text, is followed by 

 our author, with merely some slight variation in the order of 

 succession. 



M. Vieillot has adopted the above four divisions as to 

 nomenclature ; but he has separated the herons into two 

 grand sections : the first of which, distinguished by a straight 

 bill, and a long and narrow neck, comprehends the herons 

 proper, the crab-eaters, and the Blongios (Ard. Minuta et 

 Danuhialis) ; the second, composed of species with a shorter 

 and stouter neck, and having the upper mandible a little 

 curved, contains the night-herons and the bitterns. 



M. Temminck, who has made a peculiar study of the 

 herons, and has in many respects rectified their nomencla- 

 ture, has also, in the second edition of his " Manual of 

 Ornithology," published at Paris in 1820, distributed the 

 different species of the genus into two sections. Those 

 of the first, which is devoted to the herons proper and 

 the egrets, are distinguished by a bill much longer than 

 the head, as broad as, or more broad than high at 

 base, the upper mandible nearly straight, a large por- 

 tion of the tibia naked, and by living principally on fish. 

 The species of the second section, which comprehends the 

 night-herons, the crab-eaters, the bitterns, and the blongios, 

 are distinguished by this naturalist, as having the bill of the 

 same length as the head, or a little longer, more high than 

 broad, and very much compressed ; the upper mandible 

 slightly curved, a very small portion of the tibia naked, and 

 the rest emplumed as far as the knee. Besides these general 

 characters, the night-herons possess another, consisting in 

 two or three straight, long, and subulated feathers, which 

 they have on the occiput ; and the bitterns are distinguished 

 by their neck, often very stout, abundantly covered with fea^ 



