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A heron; esp., the common European heron. "A stately hern." Trench.

Heronshaw. [Obs.] Spenser.

A division of wading birds, including the herons, storks, and allied forms. Called also Herodii. -- He*ro`di*o"nine, a.

A plant of the genus Erodium (E. moschatum); -- called also musky heron's-bill.

Trousers made of nankeen. Ld. Lytton. Nankeen bird (Zoöl.), the Australian night heron (Nycticorax Caledonicus); -- called also quaker.

ornamental plumes, especially the species of Epimarchus from New Guinea, and some of the herons and egrets, as the white heron of Florida (Ardea candidissima). -- Plume grass. (Bot) (a) A kind of grass (Erianthus saccharoides) with the spikelets arranged in great silky plumes, growing in swamps in the Southern United…

The American night heron. See under Night.

l.), any stony coral which contributes material to the formation of coral reefs. -- Reef heron (Zoöl.), any heron of the genus Demigretta; as, the blue reef heron (D.jugularis) of Australia.

A breeding place of other gregarious birds, as of herons, penguins, etc.

A flock of herons. Sedge ken (Zoöl.), the clapper rail. See under 5th Rail. -- Sedge warbler (Zoöl.), a small European singing bird (Acrocephalus phragmitis). It often builds its nest among reeds; -- called also sedge bird, sedge wren, night warbler, and Scotch nightingale.

A large African wading bird (Balæniceps rex) allied to the storks and herons, and remarkable for its enormous broad swollen bill. It inhabits the valley of the White Nile. See Illust. (l.) of Beak.

mished; unstained; spotless. There did he lose his snowy innocence. J. Hall (1646). Snowy heron (Zoöl.), a white heron, or egret (Ardea candidissima), found in the Southern United States, and southward to Chili; -- called also plume bird. -- Snowy lemming (Zoöl.), the collared lemming (Cuniculus torquatus), which turn…

e soot; fuliginous; dusky; dark. "The grisly legions that troop under the sooty flag of Acheron." Milton. Sooty albatross (Zoöl.), an albatross (Phoebetria fuliginosa) found chiefly in the Pacific Ocean; -- called also nellie. -- Sooty tern (Zoöl.), a tern (Sterna fuliginosa) found chiefly in tropical seas.…

A heron (Ardea comata) found in Asia, Northern Africa, and Southern Europe.

The American night heron. See under Night. Squawk duck (Zoöl.), the bimaculate duck (Anas glocitans). It has patches of reddish brown behind, and in front of, each eye. [Prov. Eng.]

lar South American bird (Eurypyga helias), in some respects related both to the rails and herons. It is beautifully variegated with white, brown, and black. Called also sunbird, and tiger bittern. -- Sun fever (Med.), the condition of fever produced by sun stroke. -- Sun gem (Zoöl.), a Brazilian humming bird (Heliact…

led also dead spindle. -- To turn tail, to run away; to flee. Would she turn tail to the heron, and fly quite out another way; but all was to return in a higher pitch. Sir P. Sidney.

An African wading bird (Scopus umbretta) allied to the storks and herons. It is dull dusky brown, and has a large occipital crest. Called also umbrette, umbre, and umber bird. Burnt umber (Paint.), a pigment made by burning raw umber, which is changed by this process from an olive brown to a bright reddish brown. -- C…