Clafe II. GREAT WHITE HERON. 345 



IV. The GREAT WHITE HERON, tab. 7. 



Le Heron blanc. Be/on av. 191. BriJ/bn a<v. v. 428. 



Ardea alba. Gefner av. 213. Grofier weiffer Rager. Krant. 



Turner* 34-6* 



Wil. orn. 279. Ardea alba. Lin. fyjt. 239. 



Raiifyn. a<v. 99. Faun. Suec./p. 166. 



Ardea Candida, le Heron blanc. Br. Zoo/. 117. 



THIS bird has not fallen within our obfervation; 

 therefore we mull: give Mr. Willoughbfs ac- 

 count of it. The length to the end of the feet is fifty- Defav 

 three inches and a half, to that of the tail only forty; 

 the breadth fixty inches ; the weight forty ounces. 



The bill is yellowilh ; the naked Ikin between that 

 and the eyes green ^ the edges of the eye-lids, and the 

 irides are of a pale yellow ; the legs are black ; the 

 inner edge of the middle claw ferrated : the whole 

 plumage is of a fnowy whitenefs. This bird is very 

 common in many parts of Europe ; Turner fays, that 

 in his time this fpecies bred (though rarely) in the 

 feme places with the common fort : but we believe 

 it to be feldom found with us at prefent* any more 

 than the fmall fpecies of creiled white heron mention- 

 ed by Leland, under the name of Egritte, in one of 

 the bills of fare in the magnificent feaft of our an- 

 ceftors *. 



* Leland'i cclleflanea, vol. 6. L' Aigrette. Brijjon wv.v. 431. 



V. Ths 



