154 BRITISH BIRDS EGGS. 
Famitry ARDEIDA. 
COMMON HERON. 
ARDEA CINEREA, Linn. 
Pl. XXIL., fig. 1. 
Geogr. distr.—Europe as far north as Central Scandinavia, Asia as 
far east as Japan, also Java; Africa asfar south as the Cape; Australia: 
resident in Great Britain. 
Food.—Worms, Mollusca, Crustacea, fish, reptiles, small birds and 
mammals, as rats and mice. 
Nest.—Large, flat, roughly constructed of sticks lined with dry 
grass, wool, &c.; the centre of the nest has a cup-shaped depression 
tor the reception of the eggs. 
Position of nest.—In tall trees, upon cliffs of the sea-coast, or even 
occasionally on the ground. 
Number of eggs.—3-6; rarely more than 4. 
Time of nidification.—IV-V. 
As is well known, these birds build in communities 
(called heronries), frequently represented by many nests, 
though I remember seeing a heronry in Kent represented 
by only two or three nests. In some parts of our country 
the increase of the Heron is checked on account of the 
havoc which the birds make amongst trout. 
The old birds appear to rise with difficulty from a branch, 
though when soaring high their flight is powerful. Their 
action in the air always reminds me of that of a Gull, the 
body appearing to rise and fall between the wings, as 
though they were fixed at the tips. 
Herons begin to repair to their nests early in February, 
leaving them again about the end of August, when they 
disperse through the marshy parts of the country. They 
usually rear two broods annually. 
Touching the predacious habits of this bird Mr. Harting 
says :—‘‘ He will take young water fowl from the nest, and, 
after pinching them all over in his formidable bill, and 
holding them under water till they have become well 
saturated, he throws up his head, opens his mandibles, and 
the ‘Moorhen souche’ disappears.”—(‘ Sketches of Bird 
Life,’ pp. 262-3.) 
The egg which I have figured is printed rather too dark. 
It was given to me by the Rev. W. Bree, with other eggs, 
chiefly, I believe, collected by himself. 
