HERON. 57 



and thofe of the neck loofe and waving : the crown of the head 

 black; the lower jaw on each fide dufky : the plumage in ge- 

 neral is beautifully variegated ; the ground a ferruginous yellow, 

 paleft beneath, marked with numerous bars, ftreaks, and zigzag 

 lines of black : the legs are pale green ; claws long and (lender ; 

 and the inner edge on the middle claw ferrated. 



The female is lefs, darker coloured, and the feathers on the Female. 

 head and neck lefs flowing than in the male. 



This is a common bird in our iflands, and we believe in mofl Place and 

 r , r , . ■ r c i u Manners. 



or the temperate parts or the continent : in lome or the colder 



migratory*; with us it remains the whole year. Frequents 

 marfhy places, and efpecially where reeds grow, among which it 

 makes the neft, in April, which is chiefly compofed of a bed of 

 rufhes, &c. The female lays four or five eggs, of a pale greenifli 

 alb-colour ; the young are hatched in twenty-five days. It is an 

 indolent bird, ftirring very little in the day, unlefs difturbed ; 

 though, if once roufed, is not difficult to fhoot, as it flies hea- 

 vily. In the evening, after fun-fet, is feen to foar aloft in a fpiral 

 afcent, till quite out of fight, and this chiefly in autumn, making 

 a Angular kind of noife : it has alfo another noife, like that of a 

 bellowing Bull, beginning in February, and ceafing after breeding- • 

 time ; but this is done while on the ground. If attacked by 

 dogs or men, defends itfelf well ; and is faid to ftrike at the 

 eyes of the enemy. The food is frogs, mice, and other reptiles, 

 which it fwailows whole, as well as fifh ; as I well remember to 

 have found two middle-fized trouts in the ftomach of one, per- 

 fectly whole. It is reckoned pretty good eating. 



* For inftance Sweden. — Amcen. Acad. iv. p. 58S. 



Vol. III. I Le 



