HERON. 57 



with dusky tips; the hind part of the neck and its sides are ash- 

 colour; the upper part of the back dull green; the lower, rump, 

 wings, and tail, pale ash-colour ; the forehead, and the rest of the 

 body, white ; legs yellowish green ; claws dusky. 



The young bird is nearly of the same size. Bill the same ; 

 lore white ; length twenty-one inches, breadth thirty-six ; weight 

 fourteen ounces twelve drachms. Irides brown ; till the second 

 year it has the following plumage : — Crown of the head brown and 

 glossy ; the upper parts of the body the same, but inclining to grey ; 

 the hind part of the neck palest, the feathers streaked with brown 

 down the shafts; the lower part of the back and rump almost grey ; 

 over the eye, from the nostrils, a whitish streak, mixed with brown ; 

 cheeks mixed white and brown; chin white; fore part of the neck 

 grey, with a yellowish streak down the middle of each feather, those 

 towards the bottom of the neck longest ; the rest of the under parts 

 are grey, growing white on the belly and vent; wings grey brown, 

 streaked with yellowish white ; some of the greater coverts tipped 

 with white ; quills cinereous grey, the eighteen first with white tips ; 

 tail of the same colour, all but the two middle feathers more or less 

 white at the ends ; legs grey brown. 



The female, when in complete plumage, scarcely differs from the 

 male. This species is common both in Europe and America, and 

 we believe, with some exceptions as Varieties, in Africa and Asia 

 likewise. The instances of its being found in England are but few, 

 not more than two or three having occurred to our knowledge.* Is 

 frequent in the southern parts of the Russian dominions, within the 

 latitude of 53. Is probably not met with in Sweden, or it would 

 have been noticed in the Fauna Suecica. Is found on the River 



* One in the Leverian Museum, shot in the year 1782 ; and another taken in Suffolk, 

 at Cockly, about seven or eight miles from the sea coast, which was wounded in the wing, 

 and preserved alive in the year 1797; a third shot at Cliefden, in Buckinghamshire ; a fourth 

 near Lewes, in Sussex, in 1816. — Communicated by Mr. Pennant. Col. Montagu men- 

 tions one shot in the summer of 1791. 



VOL. IX. I 



