208 



Adult Male (Leadenliall Market). Crown pure white, this colour gradually narrowing towards the nape to 

 a point ; sides and hind portion of the head deep glossy black, the feathers on the nape much elongated, 

 three being five or six inches long ; upper throat white ; neck pale ashy grey, with the faintest vinous 

 tinge, the fore part of the neck marked with two or three lines of pointed blue-black feathers ; on the 

 lower neck is a large bunch of long, pointed, narrow, white feathers, tinged with warm ashy grey at 

 their base; upper parts ashy blue, scapulars paler, and having the webs divided and elongated into 

 narrow strips ; primaries deep black ; edge of the wing white ; tail ashy blue ; centre of the breast and 

 under tail-coverts white ; sides of the breast and a broad stripe running along each side of the abdomen 

 deep black, flanks ashy grey ; thighs pale ashy, with a vinous tinge ; bill, bare space round the eye, 

 and iris yellow ; legs dark grey, with a greenish tinge, yellowish on the soles and on the upper bare 

 part of the tibia. Total length about 37 inches, culmen 4 - 8, wing \7'7, tail 7"5, tarsus 55, bare portion 

 of tibia 2-8. 



Adult Female (Sweden, 12th May). Differs from the male only in being a trifle smaller; the feathers on 

 the nape are less elongated, the three long feathers being wanting, or much shorter; the scapular 

 feathers are also darker grey, and the bunch of feathers on the breast is more tinged with grey. 



Young (Leadenhall Market). Crown dark dull ashy, becoming black on the nape; upper parts dull dark 

 ashy, lacking the elongated scapular feathers of the adult; neck darker and duller than in the adult; 

 the elongated nuchal feathers and the bunch of feathers on the lower neck are wanting, and the under- 

 pays are white, tinged with grey, and broadly striped with blackish on the breast and sides ; bill 

 yellowish, dark greyish horn towards the tip ; legs dull dark grey. 



The above specimen is evidently a bird of the year, having its first complete feather plumage. After the 

 first moult (that is, when the bird is two years old) the crown has become lighter, the nuchal feathers 

 are longer, the feathers on the lower neck have become pointed and slightly elongated, and the upper 

 parts show signs of the mature dress, but the black on the sides of the breast and abdomen is not 

 developed. After the second moult (that is, in the third year) the bird attains its complete mature 

 plumage. 



In the down plumage the young bird is covered with long, fine, soft down, which is much elongated on the 

 back and head, and is on the upper parts light grey, and on the throat, front of the neck, breast, and 

 abdomen white ; the bill is reddish white, iris white, legs reddish grey. 



The range of our common Heron is very extensive ; for it inhabits Europe as far north as Central 

 Scandinavia, Africa as far south as the Cape of Good Hope, and Asia as far east as Japan, having 

 been met with southward in Java, Australia, and New South Wales ; but Naumann is wrong in 

 stating that it inhabits America, as it is there replaced by Ardea herodias, Linn. 



In Great Britain it is resident, and tolerably common, though far from being so numerous 

 as it used to be formerly when it was strictly preserved. Being, however, shy and wary, it is 

 tolerably well able to take care of itself, and there are few parts of England where, in suitable 

 localities, Herons are not to be seen. Yarrell gives a catalogue of all the heronries known to 

 him ; and since then several lists have been made out, the last being one published by Mr. J. E. 

 Harting in 'The Field' of February 17th and March 9th, 1872; and this gentleman states that 

 since then he has received notices of several others. As, however, I am not writing exclusively 

 on British birds, it is not necessary for me to say more than that there are tolerably large 

 heronries still in existence in many parts of England, and I have no doubt that the fullest 

 details will be given by Professor Newton in the edition of Yarrell's ' British Birds ' he is now so 



