170 THE COMMON HERON 



head, as the case may be, with a most philosophical gravity. They 

 are frequently shot ; but as they then generally fall into the sea, 

 a boat has to be on the alert, or they are soon washed away. The 

 plan of lowering a man by means of a rope held by the others, is 

 also adopted ; but this is most dangerous. The Frigate Pelican 

 [The Skua ?] often chases a successful Gannet till the terrified bird 

 disgorges its prey, which the pursuer seizes before it reaches the 

 water.' 



' A Solan Goose to most people would not afford a delicious meal, 

 being a rank, coarse, fishy dish ; but many of the poorer classes 

 eat them with a relish — ^nay, as a delicacy — and during the winter 

 would fare ill had they not these birds for food." 



The Gannet lays but one egg ; and the young bird is nourished 

 on semi-liquid food disgorged by the parent. On its first exclusion 

 from the egg its skin is naked, and of a bluish black hue, but is 

 soon covered with a white down. Through this the true feathers 

 appear, which are black, the adult plumage being pure white. 



For an interesting account of the capture of these birds at St. 

 Kilda, the reader is referred to Professor James Wilson's Voyage 

 round the Coast of Scotland. From a calculation once made of 

 the number of Gannets consumed by each family in a year, on this 

 island, it appeared that the total secured, not taking into account 

 a large ntmiber which could not be reached for various reasons, 

 was 22,600 : and this number was considered to be below the 

 average, the season being a bad one. 



ORDER HERODIONES 



FAMILY ARDEIDiE 



THE COMMON HERON 



Ardea cinerea 



A crest of elongated bluish black feathers at the back of the head ; similar 

 feathers of a lustrous white hanging from the lower part of the neck ; 

 scapulars similar, silver grey ; forehead, neck, middle of the belly, edge 

 of the wings, and thighs, pure white ; back of the head, sides of the 

 breast, and flanks, deep black ; front of the neck streaked with grey ; 

 upper plumage bluish grey ; beak deep yellow ; irides yellow ; orbits 

 naked, Uvid ; feet brown, red above ; middle toe, claw included, much 

 shorter than the tarsus. In young birds the long feathers are absent ; 

 head and neck ash-coloured ; upper plumage tinged with brown ; lower, 

 spotted with black. Length three feet two inches. Eggs uniform sea 

 green. 



The Heron, though a large bird, measuring three feet in length 

 from the point of the beak to the extremity of the tail, and four 

 feet and a half in breadth from the tip of one wing to the other. 



