HERON. 49 



to have two broods in a year ; the firft towards the north, the 

 latter one in the warmer places. Are feen in vaft flocks during 

 their migrations. Shaw faw three flights of them leaving Egypt, 

 pairing over mount Carmel, towards the north-eaft, in the 

 middle of April, each of them half a mile in breadth, and they 

 were three hours palling over*. Said to remain the whole year 

 in Japan f, and, if I miftake not Uaffelqtiifi £, at Alexandria 

 likewife. 



The female makes a large neft, compofed of flicks ; and lays 

 from two to four eggs, which are of a dirty yellowifh white, the 

 fize of thofe of a goofe, but a trifle longer. The young are 

 hatched in a month, and at firft are brown : the male and female 

 faid to watch them by turns, till they are fit to take care of 

 themfelves. The Stork fleeps on one leg, and fnaps with its bill 

 in a Angular manner ||. The food confifts of frogs, Jnakes, and 

 other reptiles : hence the veneration of all fedts for this ufeful 

 bird, which frees them from thefe pefts; added to the flefh beino- 



in the city is peopled with them, and they return annually to the fame nefis. 

 They deftroy all the vermin on the tops of the houfes, and peck up a great 

 number of fnakes ; fo that they are welcome guefts to the inhabitants, and 

 looked upon with particular veneration. — Dillon Trait, p. 308. 



* Trim. p. 428. — Some perfons have fuppofed this to be the Ibis of the an- 

 tients, with full as good reafon as any other bird. It is certain that the Egyp- 

 tians embalmed the bodies of bird-s ; and it is as certain that birds of the Stork 

 kind make a part of them. That in Ed-w. pi. 105, feems to be that of the Ibis 

 or Curlew genus. — Compare PocockeTrav. i. pi. 64. G. 



-j- K/zmpfer. % Fay. p. 9. 



|| In doing this the head is turned backwards, the upper part of the bill 

 placed on the rump, and the under, fet into the quickeft motion, made to aft 

 en the other. — Ives's Voy. p. 307. 



Vol. III. H no 



