. Egyptian birds for the most part seen in the Nile valley . black ; flanks a verylight grey; rest of plumage a delicate slaty-grey shadingon the wings to a darker hue; beak yellowish-green; legsgreenish-black; eyes yellow. Entire length, 38 inches. This is the common Heron of England, and isevenly distributed over the country. It needswater, and from that cause is more often seenin Lower than Upper Egypt. It seems to be avisitor and not a resident. Mr. M. J. Nicoll tellsme that from August to April it is steadily seeneither in, or flying over, the Zoological Gardensat Cairo, and if it were a
. Egyptian birds for the most part seen in the Nile valley . black ; flanks a verylight grey; rest of plumage a delicate slaty-grey shadingon the wings to a darker hue; beak yellowish-green; legsgreenish-black; eyes yellow. Entire length, 38 inches. This is the common Heron of England, and isevenly distributed over the country. It needswater, and from that cause is more often seenin Lower than Upper Egypt. It seems to be avisitor and not a resident. Mr. M. J. Nicoll tellsme that from August to April it is steadily seeneither in, or flying over, the Zoological Gardensat Cairo, and if it were a resident bird it would beone of the first to make the Gardens a breeding-place, as the thick trees and quiet pools of waterare all to its liking; but I have not heard that itever occurs there during the summer months. Thegroup I sketched were standing together at theedge of a pool on the river, gazing stolidly at asolitary pelican. At home, it always nests in coloniesknown as heronries, and I believe that in England 162 HERONS At dawn on the Nile. ^, ■*. / ^ THE COMMON HERON 153 it is rather increasing than decreasing in young birds are peculiarly ugly, and havea rather mad-looking hairy down covering on theirheads, which is retained till they have becomealmost fully fledged. When I have been watchingHerons standing, patiently waiting by the hourtogether, for fish to come within striking distance,I have often wondered if there was any truth inthe old homely legend of their legs having somepotent fascination by reason of an exuded oilwhich the fish love, that tempts them to comeswimming round and round till they approach toonear and are adroitly caught. Anyhow this iscertain, it does not walk after them; they cometo it. Having chosen its spot, it remains thereas quiet as a mouse, and with the true fishermanspatience bides its time. It is a curious sightto see the way in which it perches on a drops its long, thin legs and seizes it with itsextended toes
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidcu319240, booksubjectbirds
