HERON. 



83 



black, bare for three-fourths of the length above the knee, the inner 

 edge of the middle claw pectinated. Both sexes are alike in plumage, 

 but the female is smaller. 



Inhabits Louisiana, and other parts of North America. Found 

 from Guiana to New York ; first seen in the United States in Feb- 

 ruary ; does not frequent the shores, but the vast marshes, and 

 overflowed tracts, making the nest among the islets in the wet 

 savannas; not met with on the borders of salt water rivers, near 

 the sea, but only near stagnant waters, or rivers, where it can shelter 

 itself among the reeds; is very shy, does not collect into flocks ; is 

 not uncommon. 



Bougainville met with Egrets in Falkland's Isles, and took them 

 for Common Herons; these towards night made a harsh, barking- 

 noise, not unlike that of the wolf, which frequents those parts. 

 One seen in 28 deg. lat. S. and another to the south of Buenos 

 Ayres, but not plentiful. 



One similar, if not the same, frequent in India, measures two feet 

 ten inches, of which ten inches are occupied by the head and neck, 

 and five by the tail ; and the wings, when closed, reach nearly to the 

 end of the latter. The plumage the same in all respects as above, 

 and the long silky feathers exceed the tail by two inches. 



This is common about Calcutta, and called by the Mussulmans, 

 Torra Bugula : it is the Bok of the Bengalese ; and resembles in 

 manners the other Boks. In some drawings I find the name of 

 the male Great Egret to be Boghletar ; the bare part of the thighs, 

 and a little below the knee, white ; the rest white on the sides, and 

 black before and behind. This seems larger than the Egret. 



I observed one of these birds also among the the drawings of 

 General Hardwicke, but the bill was wholly black. The Indian 

 name given to it was Bogla or Boghee Mullung. In the Island of 

 Java, where it is also found, it is called Kumtul. 



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