HER 
in fuch a manner, that the head of the one is turned 
to the tail of the other. Being thus extended, a 
little conical button, or papilla, is protruded by 
each, and received into the aperture of the other. 
HERMIT. An animal of the lobfter kind, 
having rough clav/s, the right being the longeft; 
with the legs fubulated, and ferrated on the upper 
ridge; and the tail nalced, tender, and furnifhed 
with a hook, by which it fecures itlclf in it's 
adopted habitation. 
This fpecies inhabits the empty cavities of tur- 
binated Ihells, changing it's lodgings, according 
to it's increafe of growth, from the fmall nerite to 
the large whelk. Nature has denied it the ftrong 
covering behind, which fhe has bellowed on others 
of this clafs; and therefore feems to dire£l it for 
refuge to the deferted cafes of other animals. 
Ariftotle defcribes this animal under the name 
of the karlvinion : the moderns call it the foldier, 
from tlie idea of it's dwelling in a tent; and the 
Hermit, from it's retiring in:^ a lliell. See 
Crab, Soldier. 
HERON. In the Linnsean fyftem, the He- 
ron form.s a genus of the order of grails ; the dif- 
tinguifhing charaftcrs of which are thefe: a long 
ftraight, pointed bill, with furrows from the nof- 
trils to the extremity; a linear noftril; and feet 
having four toes. To this genus belong the ar- 
deola, bittern, cocoi, crane, the gaza giovani or 
fmall white Heron, the gaza or greater v/hite He- 
ron, the foco, the night-raven, the ftork, and fe- 
veral others. 
Though birds of the crane, the ilork, and the 
Heron kind, have a ftrong affinity to each other, 
the Heron may be diftinguifhed from them, 
not only by it's fize, whicii is much lefs, but by 
it's bill, which is much longer in proportion; and 
particularly by the middle claw on each foot, 
which is ferrated, for the better feizing and fecur- 
ing it's flippery prey. There is alfo an anatomi- 
cal diftinftion in which Herons differ from all 
other birds, viz. that they have but one csecum, 
while all other birds are furnifhed with two. 
Brifon has enumerated no fewer than forty-feven 
fpecies of this tribe, all differing in figure, fize, 
and plumage ; but they all feem poffeffed of the 
fame manners ; and merit one general character of 
cowardice, rapacity, indolence, and yet infatiable 
hunger. Other birds become fat by an abundant 
fupply of food ; but Herons, though exceffively 
voracious and deftruftive, are ever lean and crav- 
ing- 
Heron, Common; the Aruea Cinerea of Lin- 
naeus. This bird is remarkably light in propor- 
tion to it's bulk, fcarcely weighing three pounds 
and a half, though it's length is upwards of three 
feet, and it's breadth nearly five. The body is 
very fmall, and the ficin remarkably thin ; the bill 
is fix inches long, very ftrong and pointed, the 
edges being thin and rough, the colour dufky 
above, and yellow beneath; the irides are of a 
deep yellow hue; and the orbits, as well as the 
fpace between them and the bill, are covered with 
a naked greenifti fliin. The forehead and the 
crown are white; the hind-part of the head is 
adorned with a loofe pendent creft of long black 
waving feathers; the upper part of the neck is pure 
white, and the coverts of the wings are light grey. 
The back is cloathed only with down, covered 
with the fcapulars ; the fore-part of the neck is , 
white fpotted with a double row of black, the 
plumage being long, narroAv, unwebbed, and 
HER 
falling loofely over the breaft ; and the fcapulars, 
which are of the fame texture, are grey ftreaked 
v/ith white. The ridges of the wings are white; 
the primaries and the baftard-wing are black; and 
the breaft, belly, and thighs, are white, the laft be- 
ing Ibmewhat daftied with yellow. The fail is 
compofed of twelve fliort cinereous feathers; the 
legs are of a dirty green colour; the toes are long.; 
and the inner edge of the middle claw is finely fer- 
rated. 
The female is deftitute of the long creft of the 
male, having only a fliort plume of dufky feathers; 
the head is grey ; the feathers above the breaft are 
fhort; the fcapulars are grey, and webbed ; and the 
fides are alfo grey. From the variations of colours 
between this bird and the m.ale, flie has generally 
been fuppofed to be of a different fpecies ; but Pen- 
nant, and all the moft accurate naturalifts of m.o- 
dern times, confider them as the fame. 
Though the general appearance of the Heron 
might naturally enough excite an idea of it's be- 
ing fitted for a ftate of warfare, it is neverthelefs 
fo very cowardly, as to fly at the approach of a 
fparrow-hawk. In ancient times, one of the 
amufements of the great confifted in purfuing this 
timorous creature with the falcon: and Heron- 
hawking was once fo much admired, that laws 
were enabled for the prefervation of the fpecies; 
thofe who deftroyed dieir eggs being fubjedled to 
a penalty of twenty fliillings for every ofience. 
At prefent, however, the efi'efts of the ill-judged 
policy of our anceftors are felt by their pofterity 3 
for, as the amufement of hawking is no longer pur- 
fued, and ftocking fifti-ponds has become fafhion- 
able, the Heron may be regarded as a dcftru£live 
and formidable creature : it commits the greateft 
devaftations in frefh waters of all other birds; and 
there is fcarcely a fifh that it will not flrike at and 
wound, though unable to carry it away. But the 
fmaller fry conftitute it's principal fubfiftence: 
thefe, being purfued by their larger fellov/s of the 
deep, feek for refuge in fliallow water, where they 
find the Heron a ftili more fatal enemy. 
The Heron wades into the water as far as polTi- 
ble, and there patiendy waits the approach of it's 
prey ; which no fooner appears, than it darts on ir 
with unerring and inevitable aim; and after this 
manner it will fometimes deftroy more fiflies in 
one week than perhaps any other bird in fome 
months. * I have feen a Heron,' fays Willughby, 
* which had been fhot, that had feventeen carps 
in his belly at once, which he will digeft in fcven 
or eight hours, and then to fifliing again. I have 
feen a carp,' continues he, ' taken out of a He- 
ron's belly, nine inches and a half long. Several 
gentlemen who kept tame Herons, in order to 
prove what quantities one of them would eat in a 
day, have put feveral fm.ailer roach and dace into 
a tub ; and they have found him eat fifty in a day, 
one day with another. In this manner, a fingle 
Heron will often deftroy fifteen thoufand carp in a 
fingle half year.' 
Such are the rapacious powers of this tyrant of 
the frefh-waters. In general he is feen taking his 
gloomy ftand by the fide of a lake, as if meditating 
mifchief, motionlefs, and gorged with plunder. 
His ufual attitude on fuch occafions is that of fink- 
ing his long neck between his flioulders, and keep- 
ing his head turned on one lide, as if viewing the 
pool more intently. When the call of hunger re- 
turns, the toil of an hour or two is generally fuf- 
ficient to fill his capacious ftomach; and he retires 
lonw 
