250 
HERON. 
desirable to be retained as an existing- fact of the change : , it was then 
killed, and is now in my museum. 
“ In this state the plumage of the Ringtail, or female, still remains 
about the neck, the smaller coverts of the wings, the thighs, and part 
of the belly, intermixed with the male plumage : the top of the head 
and wreath have also a mixture of the feathers of both sexes : the 
quills, scapulars, and tail, are completely masculine ; in the last of 
these are a few small broken bars of cinereous-brown, on a white 
ground, in the three outer feathers, the exterior margins cinereous- 
grey ; the six middle feathers are almost wholly grey, and the markings 
are very obscure beneath. 
‘‘ From the account here given of the Hen Harrier, it is quite clear 
that the change of plumage is effected in the autumn of the year after 
it leaves the nest, and not in the same year ; and as it is between three 
and four months in the act of moulting, it is certainly very extraor- 
dinary that so few instances have occurred of its being killed in that 
state which might have been decisive. That such has been taken, is 
evident by the description of Falco Hudsonius of authors, which is 
doubtless this bird in change of plumage. 
“ I have now only to remark that the nest of this bird was composed 
of sticks rudely put together, was nearly flat, and placed on some fallen 
branches of furze, that supported it just above the ground. The egg 
is a little inferior in size to that of the moor-buzzard, and similar in 
shape and colour.”* 
HERN and HERONSHAW. — Names for the Heron. 
HERON {Ardea Cinerea, Latham.) 
*Ardea cinerea, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. p. 691. 54 Ardea major, Gmel. Syst. 2. 627. 
— Rail, Syn. 98. A. 1. — Ardea cristala, Briss. 5. p. 396. 2 Le Heron Huppe, 
Buff. Ois. 7. p. 342. — Crested Heron, Alhin, 1. p. 67. — Ib. 3. p. 78. — Common 
Heron, Penn. Br. Zool. p. 116. A.—Flem. Br. Anim. p. 95. — Will. Orn. p. 203, 
— Sibb. Scot. p. 18. — Linn. Syst. 1. p. 236. — Temm. Man. d’Orn. 2. p. 567. 
YOUNG. 
Ardea rhenana, Sander, Naturg. 13. p. 195. — Le Heron, Buff. Ois. 7. p. 342. 19.* 
Provincial. — Hern. Heronshaw. Crane. Long-necked Heron. 
Heronswegh. Hegrie, or Skiphegrie. 
The weight of this species is about three pounds and a half ; length, 
to the end of the tail, about three feet four inches ; bill near six inches 
long, dusky ; at the base of the under mandible yellow ; irides bright 
yellow ; round the eye the skin is bare and greenish ; the forehead and 
crown of the head white ; on the hind part of the head the feathers are 
of a glossy black, very long, and form a loose pendant crest ; the neck 
is whitish, marked on the fore part with a double row of black spots ; 
