142 BEAK OF THE BITTERN. 
anything inflated by wind ; and they, like the Ilur- 
gilas, not only frequent marshes, but rise slowly to 
immense heights, where they will remain for a con- 
siderable time. 
We cannot take leave of the Heron family with- 
out putting our readers on their guard against a very 
dangerous instinctive faculty they seem to possess, 
of depriving their assailants of eye-sight. If wounded, 
they will allow a dog to approach, and then, though 
apparently insensible, will, in an instant., with un- 
erring aim, dart at its eye, with a force, rapidity, and 
certainty, which it is almost impossible to guard 
against. We remember a gentleman who narrowly 
escaped; he had, as he conceived, killed a Bittern, 
and deposited it in a large pocket of his shooting- 
jacket: when, fortunately, as he was walking on, 
happening to feel something insinuating itself be- 
tween his arm and side, he, just in time to save his 
eye, caught sight of the beak of the Bittern, which 
had been only wounded, and was in the act of 
lancing itself, with the full elastic jerk of its long 
neck, towards his face. This faculty, however, is not 
entirely confined to either the Heron or Bittern, it 
extends itself to other species, as appears from the 
similar escape of a naval officer, on the coast of 
Africa. “ I winged/' says he, “a beautiful white 
Aigrette, that was passing over head, and brought it 
to the ground ; when, as I was in the act of picking 
it up, it struck at my eye with its beak, and had it 
not been for my glasses, must inevitably have re- 
duced it to perpetual darkness." “ I have since," 
he adds, “ heard of a gentleman, who, under similar 
circumstances, was not so fortunate ; he still lives, 
