Signification of the word _Kippod_--The Bittern and its general appearance--The bird of solitude--Difficulty of detecting the Bittern in its haunts--Mudie's description of the Bittern and its home--The strange cry of the bird--Superstitions connected with it--The Night-raven--Nest of the Bittern--Scarcity of the bird at the present day--Food of the Bittern--The bird formerly brought to table 462 THE HERON. The Heron mentioned as an unclean bird--The Heron used for food in England, and considered as a delicacy--Sociable character of the bird, and its mode of feeding--Its enormous appetite--How the Heron fights--Ancient falconry--Nesting of the Heron--The papyrus marshes and their dangers--Description of the papyrus--Vessels of bulrushes--The Egret and its beautiful plumage--Uses of the train feathers 468 THE CRANE. Various passages in which the Crane is mentioned--Its migratory habits and loud voice--Geographical range of the Crane--The bird once plentiful in the fen districts of England--Its favourite roosting-places--Size of the Crane, and measurement of the wings--The Crane once used as food--Plumes of the Crane and their use--Structure of the vocal organs--Nest and eggs of the Crane. 474 THE STORK. Signification of the Hebrew word _Chasidah_--Various passages in which it is mentioned--The Chasidah therefore a large, wide-winged, migratory bird--Its identification with the Stork--Derivation of its Hebrew name--The Stork always protected--Uses of the tail--Its mode of quartering the ground in search of food--Migratory habits of the Stork--Nesting of the bird, and its favourite localities--The fir-trees of Palestine--Love of the Stork for its young 478 THE SWAN. Signification of the word _Tinshemeth_--The Gallinule and the Ibis--Appearance and habits of the Hyacinthine Gallinule--A strange use for the bird--The White or Sacred Ibis--The bird mentioned by Herodotus--The Glossy Ibis, or Black Ibis--Veneration with which the bird was regarded 485 THE CORMORANT. The word _Shâlâk_ and its signification--The Greek Catarrhactes--Habits of the Cormorant--The bird trained to catch fish--Mode of securing its prey--Nests and eggs of the Cormorant--Nesting in fir-trees--Flesh of the bird 490 THE PELICAN. The Pelican of the wilderness--Attitudes of the bird--Its love of solitude--Derivation of the Hebrew word--Fantastic interpretation--Mode of feeding the young--Fables regarding the Pelican--Breeding-places of the bird--The object of its wide wings and large pouch--Colour of the Pelican 495 REPTILES. THE TORTOISE.