HERONS.
M. Temminck thus defines the Herons properly so called :—Bill much longer than the head, as large as it is high, or larger, at the base ; upper mandible nearly straight ; a great portion of the tibia naked. Food, fish principally.
It will only be necessary to give a sketch of the leading forms of this group. We proceed therefore to illustrate M. Temminck's first section of the true Herons by the Common Heron, which most authors consider as the type.
The Common Heron is, in the opinion of Belon and some others, the 'Eptaucs of Aristotle, but we do not consider this as cer tain : the term 'EproboSs is doubtless applied by Aristotle to the form ( Anim.', viii., 3), but what species is meant by him is not so clear. But the bird is, without doubt, the Arden of the Romans. It is the Beccapeace, Airone, 0cc Cicogna, and Surma, of the modern Italians; the Garza of the Spaniards ; Reygcr and Rheier of the Germans ; Heron of the French ; Cryr gills of the ancient British ; and Common heron, or Rironshaw, of the modern British.
Description. — Plumage bluish-ash ; middle toe, the nail included, much shorter than the tarsus.
Male and Female after the Third Year. — Long loose black feathers on the back of the head ; similar feathers or plumes of a lustrous white depend from the lower part of the neck ; the equally elongated and subulate scapulars are of a silvery-ash. Forehead, neck, middle of the belly, border of the wings and thighs, pure white; occiput, sides of the breast, and flanks, deep black. On the front of the neck are large longitudinal black and ash spots. Back and wings very pure bluish-ash ; bill deep yellow ; iris yellow ; naked skin of the eye bluish-purple ; feet brown, but of a lively red towards the feathered part. Leugth 3 feet and upwards. In this state M. Temminck, whose description we have give; states the bird to be the Arden cinerea (male) of Latham ('Index') ; Ardea major of Gmclin ; Le heron Hume of Bunn ; Heron common of Girard; Common heron (male) of Latham (' Syn.), Pennant (' Brit. ZooL'), and Albin ; Ashgrauer Rheier of Meyer and others ; and Sgarza cencrino of the 'Stor. degl. Uce.' Young tip to the Age of Three Years.—No crest, or at most the plumes composing it very short ; no long loose feathers at the lower part of the neck, nor above the wings ; forehead and top of the head ash-colour; throat white ; neck clear ash, with numerous spots of a deeper colour than the ground ; back and wings bluish-ash, mingled with brown and whitish ; breast marked with longitudinal spots ; upper mandible of the bill blackish-brown, with yellowish spots ; lower mandible yellow ; iris yellow ; skin round the eyes greenish yellow ; feet blackish-ash, but yellowish towards the feathered part.
1u this state M. Temminck considers the bird to be the Arden cinerea (female) of Latham ; Ardea ammo of Sander; Le Heron, of Buffon; Common heron (female) of Latham ; Sgarza marina, of the Stor. degl. Ucc.' ; and De Blaa uwe Reiger (being the young in the first year) of Sepp.
The edge of the bill is serrated near the point, and the nail of the middle toe pectinated, as in the Herons generally.
Variety.—Nearly perfectly white. A variety of this description is figured by Frisch (t. 204) ; but it is very rare.
Habits, Food, Reproduction, &c.—The solitary habits of the Common Heron, excepting at the season of reproduction, are well known. At that period they congregate at their breeding stations, or heronries, for which the loftiest trees are generally chosen. Pennant says that at Cressi Hall, near Gosberton, in Lincolnshire, he counted more than eighty nests in one tree. Montagu notices a heronry on a small island in a lake in the north of Scotland, whereon there was only one scrubby oak. This being too small to contain all the nests, the herons, rather than abandon their society and a favourite station, had many of them placed their nests on the ground. In the south and west of Englanil the heronries in Windsor Great Park in Berkshire, at Brockley in Somersetshire, and at Powderham Castle in Devonshire, are worthy of notice. The nest is built of sticks, and is large and flat. It is lined with wool or other soft materials, and on this lining are deposited four or five bluish-green lustreless eggs. The young are less pre possessing in appearance than nestlings in general, but few of which are pleasant to look upon, and they remain in the nest for five or six weeks, during which time the old birds unceasingly supply them with fish, &c. There are sometimes deadly feuds between the herons and the rooks, originating in a dispute for the possession of the neat-trees. Dr. Heysham's account of one of these battles at Hallam Tower, in Westmorland, originating in the felling of the fine old oaks occupied by the herons, and their consequent attempt upon the grove in the tenure of the rooks, is well worth perusal. The herons had the best of the fray for two successive seasons, and at length a sort of peace was patched up between the combatants; the rooks and the herons severally setting up their nests on a particular part of the now only remaining grove, and leaving the other moiety to the opposite faction.