162 THE BIRDS OF CALCUTTA. 



be distinguished by the white of the wings being 

 slightly sullied in places. When they are squabs 

 in the nest, their scanty down allows their skin to 

 be seen, and this, curiously enough, is of a light and 

 cheerful green like their legs, and contrasts strikingly 

 with their flesh-coloured beaks. They always have 

 green legs, but the beak, as they grow up, changes 

 to blue and yellow with a black tip. Their eyes too 

 are always yellow like those of most herons, this 

 giving the family a vicious appearance, which their 

 disposition does not belie ; for, though sociable at 

 breeding and roosting-time, they are decidedly 

 quarrelsome, ill-conditioned birds in their general 

 character. What every heron wants is to be let 

 alone, and if he feels his liberties and rights are being 

 encroached upon, he does his best to give the intruder 

 " one in the eye " with a despatch and accuracy 

 which are the natural outcome of much fishing 

 experience. The heron tribe are, indeed, specialists in 

 the art of taking aim and biding their time ; they 

 do not generally walk about after their prey but wait 

 for it to come to them, and reach for it when it is 

 obliging enough to do so. Their general habits and 

 attitudes are very stereotyped, and any one who 

 has watched the little Paddy-bird will have a very 

 good idea of most of his relatives. They all keep 

 their necks curved back on their shoulders when they 



