H E R O N .
Place and
Manners.'
neck behind, and all the under parts, to the breaft, black 5 on the
laft, the feathers are long, and hang downwards: the back, rump,
and tail, and all the under part from the breaft, are of a blueifh
alh-colour : behind each eye fprings a tuft of long white feathers,
which decline downwards, and hang in an elegant manner: the
quills and tail are black at the ends: the legs black.
This fpecies is found in many parts o f Africa and Afta. In the
firft, has been met with on the Coaft of Guinea*; but is moft plentiful
about Bildulgerid (the ancient Numidia), and Tripoli; from
thence along the coafts of the Mediterranean Sea-, and pretty common
in Egyptf . They are alfo at Aleppo J, and in the fouthern
plain about the Black and Cafpian Seas-, and are feen frequent
beyond Lake Baikal, about the rivers Selenga and Argun, but never
venture to the northward ||. In all places found to prefer marlhes
and neighbourhood of rivers, as the food is filh, like moft of the
Heron genus.
It is frequently kept in menageries, being endowed with great
gentlenefs o f [manners, added to its being an elegant bird.
A t various times puts itfelf into ftrange and uncouth attitudes,
and efpecially thofe which imitate dancing: and Keyfler mentions
one in the Great Duke’s Gallery, at Florence, which had been
taught to dance to a certain tune, when played or fung to it
The name this bird is known by in the eaft is Kurki, or ffuerky.
Sometimes will breed in confinement: one is recorded to have
# Hiß des Oif. f Hajfelq. p. 287.
t RuJJel, Alep. p. 69. t! Mr. Pennant.
§ See Trav. vol. ii. p. 34,— Called by Pococke, the Dancing Bird, See hia
Trav. vol. ii. p. 207.
lived
lived twenty-four years at Verfailles, which had been raifed
there*.
Grus Leucogeranos, Pall. tram. ii. p. 714. 30. t. l.— Georgi Reife, p. 171. 3 . _
Sibirian Crane, Arä. Zool. p. 455* SIEIRIAN CR.
rr»HIS is a very large fpecies, being four feet fix inches high, D e s c r i p t io n,.
when ftanding eredt. The bill Ihaped like that of a crane,
but bigger, and of a red colour; the mandibles ferrated at the
edges near the tip : the face naked beyond the eyes ; rugofe, of a
red colour, and fprinkled with numerous rufous tubercles: irides
white: the plumage white as fnow, except the ten firft greater
quills, with the coverts of them, which are black : the fcapulars
Ihorter than in the Crane: tail pretty even, confifting of twelve
feathers : legs long, red.
In old birds the hind part of the neck is yellowifh: young
birds of the firft year are wholly of an oker colour; with the
face, bill, and legs of a greenifh brown.
This fpecies inhabits the vaft marfhes and lakes in Sibiria, P la ce anj>
efpecially thofe about the I f him, and along the rivers Ob and
Irtijh. Makes the neft among the reeds, feldom acceffible by
man, upon riling green graffy tufts, made up of herbs and grafs
heaped together : lays two afh-coloured eggs o f the fize of thofe
o f a Goofe, and fpotted with brown.
Thefe are Ihy birds, and always upon their guard againft an
enemy; having a centinel to warn them of an approach : on the
lead: alarm cry aloud, not unlike the Swan, and fly off direflly.
• Hiß, des Oif*
The