W A D E R S . 



293 



jody is variegated with black and white, and below bluish ; the 

 bill of a deep yellow ; the iris yellow ; the skin of the eye naked, 

 and of a bluish purple ; the feet brown, but yellowish towards, the 

 feathered part ; the beak and legs are long ; their under and uppoi 



chaps are alike in length ; and they have four long, connected toes 

 on each foot. It is a tall bird, very light in proportion to its size ; 

 in weight about three pounds and a half. The length is three 

 feet two inches, and the breadth from tip to tip of extended wing, 

 five feet four inches. 



The, Heron is a bird found almost in every part of the world, 



but stationajy in Britain. At the season of reproduction they 



congregate in great numbers at their stations, or heronries, for 



which the loftiest trees are selected. Blore than eighty nests have 



25* 



