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CHAPTER X. 
STALKERS BITTERNS AND HERONS : THE EUROPEAN, 
AMERICAN, LITTLE, AND SQUACCO BITTERNS THE NIGHT, 
GREY, AND PURPLE HERONS THE BLACK-BILLED, YELLOW- 
BILLED, LITTLE WHITE, AND BUFF-BACKED EGRETS. 
TT7E now enter upon an order of birds called Auciipa- 
yy toi^es, or Stalkers, which differ very widely from the 
lively and rambling Tentatorial birds, or Probers, in their 
movements and general habits. Many of them are of large 
size, some small, but mostly of moderate dimensions ; they 
have all very long legs, and they walk in a sedate and not 
ungraceful manner. They wade far into the water, and 
often stand for hours motionless on the watch for prey. 
Their flight is light and buoyant, but usually slow, although 
they are enabled to perform long journeys, being all more 
or less migratory birds. Very few permanently reside in 
Britain ; but many species occur here as regular visitants 
or occasional stragglers. As a rule, they are shy and sus- 
picious birds, flying before the approach of man, or con- 
cealing themselves closely among the herbage. They form 
large, flat, slovenly nests upon the ground, or the forked 
branches of trees, and lay from two to five light-coloured 
eggs. In tropical countries they are much more numerous 
than in temperate regions. Their favourite haunts are the 
sea-shores, borders of rivers and lakes, and they feed chiefly 
on fishes, reptiles, Crustacea, and other aquatic animals. 
The Bitterns constitute the first genus of the Heron family, 
and they are distinguished by the scientific name BotauniSj 
on account of the booming or bellowing kind of noise 
