HERON. 29 



Inhabits both Africa and Asia. In the first is met with on the Coast 

 of Guinea,* but is most plentiful about Bildulgerid,t and Tripoli ; 

 from thence along the Coast of the Mediterranean Sea, also pretty 

 common in Egypt.J Is found at Aleppo, || and in the southern 

 plains about the Black and Caspian Seas, also seen frequently beyond 

 the Lake Baikal, about the Rivers Selinga and Argun, but never 

 ventures to the northward. It prefers marshes, and the neighbour- 

 hood of rivers, as it feeds on fish, like others of the Heron Genus. 

 Authors are silent concerning the nidification and manners at large; 

 but we know that they are frequently kept in menageries, and bear 

 confinement well, insomuch as to breed in that state ; for we are told, 

 that six were at one time in a menagerie at Versailles, and that one 

 of them, which had been produced there, lived twenty-four years : 

 it is endowed with great gentleness of manners, and sometimes puts 

 itself into elegant attitudes, at others into strange and uncouth ones, 

 especially such as imitate dancing; and Keysler mentions one in the 

 Duke's gallery, at Florence, which had been taught to dance to a 

 certain tune, when played, or sung to it. § It is called in the east, 

 Kurki, or Querkey. 



The circumstance of the singular construction in the trachea, or 

 windpipe, has been noticed by authors, but not generally known. 

 It does not, as in most birds, go straight into the lungs, but first 

 enters a cavity in the keel of the breast bone, for about three inches, 

 when it returns, after making a bend forwards, and then passes into 

 the chest. 



This is a common species in India, being seen with the Indian 

 Crane in vast flocks, on the banks of the Ganges, ^ where it is 

 called Curcuma, and Currakeel. 



* Hist., des Ois. f The ancient Numidia. + Hasselq. Voy. p. 287. 



1| Russ. Alep. p. 69. § See Trav. ii. p. 34. Called by Pococke the Dancing Bird. 

 See his Travels, ii. 207. % Penn. Hind. ii. 158. 



