feront lakes in Switzerland. I t has been observed at Genoa.;
M . Savi includes it in his Birds of Italy, and i p is seen on
the Adriatic and. the Mediterranean every, season.' It is said
to be : found about the Caspian sea in winter.
It/feed^^oainsect'i.aad- .worms,’ according to M; Temmktek,
but very little of its habits are .kno-wn. On, more thanmne oc*-
nasion when shot ij| this country it was associated with Terns,
The figure of this bird in its- summer-plumage at the head
of this'subject, was taken from a spécimen igiven me by Mr.
TïpuldT In this ' spécimen.- the’-bilbî is -reddishp^ow,n ; tt]ie
irides very dark brown ; theiwboie of theThead and the upper
part of ’the neck all round.' in „black,-; the neck' Tbelow whit-||
thé back, wing-coverts, and wings, uniform pale ashrgreyj the
outér primaries darker grey, with white at the end and on the
inner margin, of the web”; upper tail-coverts and tâihfeathers
white, the Tail in »'form sqæ&re'iat the.'enfH all under surface
of- the body and under „tail- coverts white ; legs, J o d p
and membranes vermilion.
An adult bird in winter has the bill almost black ||iridek
dark brown ; forehead and upper part of neck in front, and on
the sides pure "white ; /Occiput anduapej|l| the heck' streaked
with'greyish-black-on a w h ite ?g ro u n d d u sk y spotunderïjfe
eye, and an elongated patch of duskydblack falling downwards
from the ear-coverts ;- all The" other parts.as in shimmer.-
The young bird-of the year-killed .in the middle of^fo-
-vembery had the bill black, irides-very dark brown ; forehead
and lore whiter top of the^Êead,. ocSput;, and ear-coverts,
greyisl-black ; nape of the neck, white, formingTa collar by
uniting with the white oT the front ; below the; nape a broadi|
black band extending towards, but - not -reaching, the wings ;
back, scapülaréÿ/and feitialk pale pearl-gié|ÿ'with a few black
feathers appearing. througk^3wi#g-primaries and secondaries
greyish-blackj tipped r with .white,r . nearly „théî: whole * of the
inner webs white * greater wing-coverts pearl-grey ; • smaller
coverts black, edged with grey ; upper tail-coverts whiter
upper surface of tail-feathers white, with a broad terminal
band of . black, which is broadest on the middle feathers, the
outer taihfeather on each side wholly white; all the under
surface of the body and wings, under tail-coverts, and each
outside Tail-feather white, the other tail-feathers white with a
narrower margin« of greyish-black jf^egs, toes, and interdigital
-membranes in this preserved specimen pale yellow-brown.
Whole!-' length tern'.inches and one-eighth-; wing from the
wristTeight inches and, three-barters.
I am indebted to the kindness of the Rev. W. Alderson,
of Ashton,» near Sheffield,:for- the“ use. of a clever drawing,
from which thevyignette below was taken. A Heron was
l s b i foh|k cvfemng going;To a piece of water to feed ; the spot
was visited’" the ‘ next morning, wheuiut Was discovered, that
The Heron had struck its sharp beak through the head of an
piercing lif^le-yes ; the eel thus held had coiled itself so
tightly IMiM the fieek of-thp Heron as to stop the bird’s
respirationflapi both were dead.
■Esiniiiii