136 Order V. Steganopodes 



the bird dive straight down from a height with closed 

 wings and plunge deep into the water, under which 

 it remains for several seconds. On the Bass Rock, where 

 it was formerly called the Bass Goose, hundreds of birds 

 used to be killed, salted down, and eaten as delicacies. 

 The fully fledged young are sooty black with white 

 markings, instead of being white with black primaries. 



ORDER VI. HBRODIONES 



The Herons and Bitterns are birds of swamps and 

 river-sides, the former often breeding in colonies, called 

 heronries, which are often of considerable size, and the 

 latter leading a skulking life in reedy or sedgy marshes. 

 Herons' nests are usually on trees or bushes, but may 

 be on the ground. The neck, legs and feet are long ; 

 the bill is elongated, strong and pointed ; the long toes 

 are slightly webbed, with rather short claws, except in 

 Bitterns ; the wings are large ; crests and ornamental 

 plumes are not uncommon. The nestlings are covered 

 with scanty hair. 



Storks have a still stronger bill, that of Ibises is 

 much weaker and extremely curved, that of SpoonbUls 

 is flattened into a sort of "spoon" at the end, which 

 finally turns downward. The latter breed in colonies, 

 while all have downy young. One Ibis is an irregular 

 visitor to Britain. 



Family ARDBID.^, or Herons and Bitterns 



The common Heron or Hern {Ardea cinerea) is " all 

 length." Its body is thin, its legs, bill and neck are 

 very long, and it has a bifid black crest hanging 

 down from the nape. Otherwise it is grey, with 

 whitish face and lower parts and streaked neck. The 



