THE HERON. 



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hind its head, that it is about the size of a fowl, also that it has short 

 wings, and rests its four toes firmly on the ground, we shall then 

 have a pretty exact portrait of our subject This Bird inhabits the 

 savannahs of Central America, frequenting the banks of rivers, where 



The Boatbill. 



it feeds on fish, molluscs, and sometimes crabs. It builds its nest in 

 the thick under-brush. 



The Herons (Ardea), which form a genus of birds of the order 

 of Cultrirostres, have the bill long, pointed, opening widely, and 

 very strong ; their legs are in part bare of feathers ; toes long, and 

 furnished with long claws, not excepting the back toe, the whole 

 length of which rests upon the ground ; the neck is long and slender. 

 Further, the back of the head is adorned with a tuft of long feathers 



