HERON. 143 



fowls, and small birds, are much in danger of being made free 

 with. 



About the month of April the Heron begins to look-for its 

 last year's haunt, and sets about repairing some old nest, 

 which, when completed, measures from two to three feet in 

 width, and is composed of sticks and twigs, very carelessly 

 heaped one upon another, and finally lined with softer mate- 

 rials, such as wool, hair, dry flags, and straws ; and by the 

 end of April three or four eggs are deposited : these are 

 hatched in about three weeks by the female bird, while her 

 mate constantly feeds her during the time of incubation ; and 

 this accounts for the constant flying to and from the heronry 

 at this time of the year. The young are unsightly, helpless 

 creatures, but grow very fast, and are carefully waited upon 

 by the parent birds. After the breeding-season the heronry 

 is left by all the birds, except a few adult individuals, who 

 continue to make it their roosting-place. 



The Heron measures about three feet and a half from the 

 tip of the beak to the extremity of the tail. The beak 

 measures four inches and a half, from the tip to the feathers 

 on the forehead, and nearly seven inches to the gape. The 

 edges of both mandibles are very acute, the lower fitting with 

 great accuracy within the upper, and both are sharply serrated 

 or toothed, the teeth or serratures inclining towards the bird's 

 swallow, by which construction the escape of the most 

 slippery prey is rendered nearly impossible when once 

 captured. 



The simple colours of black, white, and grey, that adorn 

 this bird, are elegantly disposed in the following manner : — 

 The forehead, crown, and sides of the face are white, as are 

 also the throat, breast, thighs, and some of the under parts ; 

 the long plumes that spring from the crown of the head are 

 black, as well as the flanks and sides of the breast : the quill- 

 feathers of the wings and tail are deep ash-colour, the rest of 



