

NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. ?? : 



The Heire, the Heron, Herodias, Ardea vel Ardua, quod aite Heire, 

 volet, becaufe it flies high, fays J. Klein, Hift. Av. p. 122, 

 where he diflinguifhes them into fourteen forts* We fhall only 

 take notice of the Norvegian Heron : it is the large blue Heron, 

 a confiderable Bird, whofe body is like an Eagle's , the neck, bill, 

 and legs like thofe of a Stork, excepting that the feet refemble 

 thofe of a Goofe, and on their heads they have a tuft of feathers : 

 they lay three grey fpotted eggs, of the fize of a Goofe-egg, and 

 fhape of a Moor-hen's : they build their neft in the highefl trees, 

 or in the cracks of the fleepeft rocks : the male and female change 

 turns to fit upon the eggs, which are hatched in three weeks : 

 they do the fame in bringing up the young, in three more ; and 

 then they can feed themfelves. They do not only feek their food 

 in frefh water lakes and marfhes, but alfo along the fea-coafl, 

 where, with their long legs, neck, and bill, they fhew the fame 

 readinefs as the Stork, to catch all crawling and water infe&s, that 

 are not larger than what they can fwallow down their narrow 

 throats. The Heron has only one flrait gut, which diflinguifhes 

 it from other Birds. Ardea id habet ab omnibus avibus diverfum, 

 quod intefiinum caecum unicum 8c fimplex obtineant fingulse, cum 

 aliae aves geminum nadae fmt, according to J. Klein, L. C. Hence 

 it comes to pafs, that all my correfpondents unanimoufly affure 

 me that a Heron may eat a Snake or an Eel three times over, 

 which is hardly fwallowed before one fees the heacl or body 

 pafs out again from the Bird's fundament, and then immediately 

 the Bird turns about, and fwallows it a fecond or a third time, 

 before he will relinquifh it. Its long legs are a great help to it 

 to get its provifions: on thefe legs are a very few fine hairs, 

 which play foftly in the water ; and that motion, it is faid, entices 

 the fifh, who are not aware of the devouring beak above. 



The Heiloe, called alfo Myreloe, becaufe they live chiefly in Heiioe. 

 ant-hills, or in broom-fields, differs from the Akerloe (which, on 

 the contrary, feek.s the plough'd land) chiefly in fize, which is 

 vifibly fuperior ; on the back it is green, and it is variegated 

 under the breafl with black and white fpots : its flefh is delicate, 

 much like the Thrufh kind : they are Birds of paffage, and 

 towards the Winter they alTemble together in large flocks, and 

 fo fly away. Some are of opinion that they flay here all the year, 

 hiding themfelves in the high rocks; but this is uncertain. 



The Horfe-Gog, or Rofgauke, fo called perhaps becaufe they Horfe-go g . 

 live in cracks of rocks, or among great heaps of flones, from 

 whence the ermin animal has the Norvegian name. The Horfe- 

 {jogen is about as large as a Wood-Pigeon ; its note is not at 



Part. II t X all 



