240 A\'ES. 



■white, marked on each side with a row of Mack tears ; [dorsal plamag-e rounded in the young;, pointed after the 

 fiist moult, and much elont,^atcd and narrowed in the ailuit, alt the featliers having a crape-like apjiearance, devoid 

 of ,o;Ioss, but rich in colouring. Both sexes alike.] A larg-e binl, very noxious on account of the quantity of fish 

 it destroys, and formerly celebrated for the sport which it afforded to falconers. [It breeds, like most of the 

 genus, on the brandies of hit>li trees, many nests together, which are termed Heronries; seizes its prey by an 

 instantaneous stroke of the bill, transfixing it if large ; watches for it motionless ; emits a louiJ cry or honk, and 

 flies buoyantly : characters which mostly apjily to the genus generally.] 



We have also another species, the Purple Ilemu LI. piirpvyea] [smaller and more slender, with longer toes, like 

 those of a Bittern. It bi'eeds on the ground, .■iml i.i rare in the British islands. Colour altogether more reddish." 



Certain small species Tvith shorter legs are termed Dwarf-bitteras [the Ardeola, Bonap. They are in every 

 respect true Bitterns, and resemble that of North America in immature jilumage, acquiiing a garb analogous to 

 that of the Night-herons when adult.] There is one common in the mountainous districts of France iArfl. mimiia 

 anil danubiaita, Gm.), which is scarcely Im-ger than a Kail, and fuUous, with the calotte, back, and quilt.-, bhick. 

 It frequents the vicinity of ponds. 



The Tiger-bitterns conjoin to the contonr of the Dwarf-bitterns the stature of a Heron and the plumage of the 

 ordinary Bitterns. 



Egrets are Herons, the feathers of which, on the lower part of the back, at a certain epoch are lengthened and 

 tliinly barbed. [They are mostly pure white.] < )ne of the handsomest of them, tlie Heron-crested Egret (J. gar- 

 zcda, Lin.), is entirely white, with the dorsal |)lumage not extending beyond the tnil, [and a long occipital crest of 

 narrow feathers, resembling in shape those of the Common Heron. It is peculiar to the eastern continent]. Also 

 the European Great Egret {A. alba and egret/a), likewise wholly white, and the thinly-barbed dorsal plumage 

 prolonged iieyond the tail. [There are numerous other.-?, m every part of tVie world. A third in Euro]je is the 

 Buff backed Heron or Egret (.1. russaia), with a shorter and smooth yellow bill, lunger toes, and coloured dorsal 

 plumage in the adult, like the next species.] 



We api)roxinnate to the Egrets the Squacco Heron (,■]. comata rmd ralloidi'a), a bird of the south of Europe, with 

 a russet-brown back, the belly, wings, and tad, white. Tlie adult has a yellowish neck, [densely cliid like tli;it of a 

 Bittei-n], and a long [striped] occipital crest : [the toes are also lonir, and the lengthened dnrsal plumage of this 

 and the last species are of a hair-like texture, besides resembling in colour. The present species occurs less 

 unfrequently in the British Isles than either of the three last.] 



Bitterns ha\e the feathers of the neck lax and sei^arated, which increases their apparent size, [at least when they 

 erect them, which they have the power of doing to their whole clothing iiluniagel. They .*re coninm.ny rayed or 

 speckled, [and not so high on the legs]. 



The European Bitlein {A. sfrll.iri:) is bright fulvous or clay-colour, mottled and speckled ■'■ith blackish, and 

 \rA^ green bill and fei;t. It is fnniid among the reeds, wlience it emits its territic voice, which has caused it to be 

 6-ei^'v^x\QXc<\ BoS'taitnis, [This bird is not rare in Britain, runs with great celerity like a Rail, flies also with 

 unwillingness, and with its legs hanging, during the day, and \\iieri surprized puffs out its jiluniage in an extra- 

 ordinary manner, and ^itrike>i w itii its sjM'ar-liki.' bill. In the evening it ri^es to a vast height in the aii, m s[)iral 

 circles, occasionally hc!l<ji':iin/ \\\ its rliL'.liL ; it breeds ammig aquatic herbage in the marshes, and lays e-gs of a 

 dark bi'own colour.] 



The Night-herons, with the same port as the Bitterns, Iia\i' the Ijeak jiroportionally much thicker, and S'mie 

 slender feathers [three in number] gro\N ing from the ncriiuit nf the adult. One only inhabits I'^urope \A. inicti- 

 cn-'ii , Lin.), the male of whieli i.-. \\l,in-li, with the ridntte and back bhiek ; the yniing bmwn alnive spotted with 

 whitish, and the calotte dusky. [It i^ i;iie m Britain.] 



In fine, we should remark that these dillerent subdi\isions of the genus of Herons are of trivial import, ;Mid by 

 no means well defined. [Together with the Boatbills, they constitute a perfectly distinct group, strongly charac- 

 terized by their anatomy, and particularly by the single minute ccecum, and the number of cer\ica] \ertel'r;r 

 — se\'entecn.] 



Tlic tliinl tribe, l)i'si(li.'s luiviiiu^ a stouter unil smoother beak, lia.s toleraldy stronir ami nearly 

 equal ineiubraucs between the bases of the toes. 



The Storks (t'iconia, Cuv.) — 

 Posi:iess a thick liilb moderately cleft, -without any fossa or groove, and the nostrils pierced towards 

 the back and base ; also an extremely short tongne. Their legs are reticulated, and the front toes 

 strongly pahnated at base, more particularly the niitfT. Their large and thin mandibles, by striking 

 against each ntiicr, jinidiice a clattering imise, which i,s almost the only sound these birds ever make. 

 Their gizzard is faligbtly niiiscnlar, and their two eceea so .small as to he barely perceptible. Their inferior 

 larynx has no muscle proiicr ; aud tlie bronchi are lunger and composed of more entire rings than nsiiaL 



^Ve hri\e two species in Franre. 



The \Vhite Stork (A. riconia, Lin.).— White, with black quill-feathers, and red bill and feet ; a large bird, whicli 

 the |)einjle hold in particular respect, doubtless originating from its utility in destroying Snakes and other noxious 

 animals. It nestles by preference on towers and chimney-stacks, returning to the same e\ery spring, after having 

 passed the winter in Africa. [The reason that this species is not common in Britain, is tliat every pair are shot 

 soon after making their appearance, wliich prevents the founding of a colony.] 



