32 
ARDEA ALBA. 
plumes of the hreast and hack ; and have the body, neck 
and lesser coverts of the wing's, considerably tinged 
with ferruginous. 
On dissection, the gullet was found of great width' 
from the mouth to the stomach, which hAS not the t«'<^ 
strong muscular coats that form the gizzard of soin* 
birds ; it was more loose, of considerable and unifori® 
thickness throughout, and capable of containing nearly 
a pint ; it was entirely filled with fish, among which 
were some small eels, all placed head doivnwards ; tbf 
intestines measured nine feet in length, were scarecK 
as thick as a goose-quill, and incapable of being dis” 
tended ; so that the vulgar story of the heron swallowing 
eels, which, passing suddenly through him, are repeatedK 
swallowed, is absurd and impossible. On the external 
coat of the stomach of one of these birds, opened soo® 
after being shot, something like a blood-vessel lay ia 
several meandering folds, enveloped in a membrane, anti 
closely adhering to the surface. On carefully openini! 
this membrane, it was found to contain a large, round; 
living worm, eight inches in length ; another, of lika 
length, was found coiled, in the same manner, on anothef 
part of the external coat. It may also he woi'thy ot 
notice, that the intestines of the young birds of tha 
first season, killed in the month of October, when the/ 
were nearly as large as the others, measured only si-< 
feet four or five inches ; those of the full grown oneS; 
from eight to nine feet in length. 
203 . ASDEA ALBA, LINN.®nS. ABDEA EOBETTA, VVII.SOX. 
GREAT WHITE HERON. 
WILSON, ELATE LXI. FIG. IV. 
This tall and elegant bird, though often seen, during 
the summer, in our low marshes and inundated meadow*; 
yet, on account of its extreme vigilance and watchfoj 
timidity, is very ditlicult to be procured. Its principnj 
residence is iu the regions of the south, being found 
from Guiana, and probably beyond the line, to 
