BIRDS 179 



down " feathers on each side of the rump, i.e. of downy feathers 

 the tips of which readily crumble into powder. The plumage 

 is somewhat loose, and the head or adjacent parts are often 

 crested. Herons are mostly found in marshy places, preying 

 upon fish, or it may be other small animals. Though commonest 

 in tropical and subtropical regions, they are also widely distributed 

 elsewhere, and are best known in Britain as represented by the 

 Common Grey Heron {Ardea cinerea), the unfortunate bird 

 which was the chief victim of the ancient sport of falconry. This 

 species ranges eastwards to Japan, and southwards to the Cape. 

 Bitterns and Boat-billed Herons are other members of the group. 



Besides the Grey Heron, we have in Britain: — Common Bittern {Botaurus 

 stellaris); Little Bittern (Arietta minutd); Night Heron {Nycticorax griseus). 



Storks. — These are not so slenderly built as herons, and do 

 not possess the patches of powder-down feathers. The three 

 front toes are connected together at their bases by a small web. 

 Like herons, they haunt swamps and inland waters, feeding largely 

 on frogs, and their distribution is equally wide. 



The White Stork (Ciconia alba) is found in most parts of 

 Europe, from which it ranges into North Africa, Central Asia, 

 and India. This bird is a familiar object on the Continent, 

 enjoying for the most part immunity from human attack, and 

 nesting on chimneys, the gable-ends of buildings, &c. It plays 

 a large part in fairy tales and stories, as everyone knows 

 who has read "Andersen's Fairy Stories", and who has not? 

 All will remember that the Stork is supposed to bring the new 

 brothers and sisters, as witness the story of the irreproachable 

 Peter, whose invocations to this invaluable bird were rewarded 

 by the appearance of a brother and sister at the same time. 

 Closely related to ordinary storks are the large, ungainly 

 Adjutants or Marabout Storks of Africa and India, with enor- 

 mous bills. They feed not only upon small living animals, but 

 also on carrion, and in accordance with this habit the head is 

 destitute of ordinary feathers. 



Ibises. — Smaller than the average members of the preceding 

 groups, these birds possess beaks which are only hard at the 

 tip. Their wings are pointed and their tails abbreviated. In 

 habits and distribution they are very similar. The best -known 

 species is the African Ibis {Ibis ^thiopica) (fig. 123), which 



