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Order IV. HERODII. 

 Family ARDEID^l. 



Genus ARDEA. 



Ardea, Brisson, Orn. v. p. 392 (1760). 



Tantalus apud Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 241 (1766). 



Herodias apud Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 559. 



Ardeola apud Boie, ut supra. 



Lepterodatis apud Ehrenberg, Symb. Phys. Aves, fol. m (1828). 



Nycticorax apud Ehrenberg, ut supra. 



Cancrophagus apud Kaup, Natiirl. Syst. p. 42 (1829). 



Buphus apud C. L. Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. p. 589 (1831). 



Egretta apud Bonaparte, Comp. List, p. 47 (1838). 



Erodius apud Macgillivray, Man. Brit. B. ii. p. 134 (1842). 



JBotaurus apud Macgillivray, torn. cit. p. 125 (1842). 



Garzetta apud Bonaparte, Consp. Gen. Av. iii. p. 118 (1857). 



JBubulcus apud Bonaparte, torn. cit. p. 125 (1857). 



The Herons are very widely distributed throughout the world, being found in the Palaearctic, 

 Ethiopian, Oriental, Australian, Nearctic, and Neotropical Regions, seven species inhabiting the 

 Western Palaearctic Region. 



They frequent marshy and wet localities, the sea-coast, the banks of streams and lakes, and 

 large marshes, and are, as a rule, gregarious, even during the nesting-season. They wade into 

 the water in pursuit of their prey, which consists of fish, frogs, insects, and occasionally small 

 mammals. Their flight is sedate and slow, but tolerably easy; and they frequently traverse 

 considerable distances on the wing. Their cry is a deep, harsh call, which is usually uttered 

 when the bird is flying. They breed in colonies, placing their nests either on the ground or on 

 high trees, the nests being constructed of sticks and twigs, and lined with grasses, wool, &c. 

 They deposit several bluish-white or pale-blue eggs. 



Ardea cinerea, the type of the genus, has the bill longer than the head, strong, straight, 

 tapering to a point, gape-line straight ; nostrils linear, basal ; space in front of the eye bare ; 

 wings large, the first four quills nearly equal ; tail short, even ; legs long, slender, the tibia bare 

 on the lower third ; tarsus long, anteriorly scutellate ; toes long ; claws moderate, curved, acute, 

 that on the middle toe serrated on the inner edge ; plumage soft, full ; head with a long crest, 

 and the feathers on the fore part of the back much elongated, with close filaments. 



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