210 THE NESTS AND EGGS OF 



actions of this bird at the nest are not known to differ 

 fronn those of alHed species already described. 



Range of egg colouration and measurement: 

 The eggs of the Great White Egret are from three to 

 five in number, but the latter amount is exceptional. 

 They are chalky in texture, with no polish, and green- 

 ish-blue in colour. Average measurement, 2*5 inches 

 in length, by i"5 inch in breadth. Incubation lasts 

 about a month, but whether the male shares the duty 

 with the female is unknown. 



Diagnostic characters : The eggs of the Great 

 White Egret cannot be distinguished from those of the 

 Common and Purple Herons, rendering their identifica- 

 tion at the nest an imperative task, which is made easy 

 by the fact of the present bird being very distinct in 

 colouration. 



Family ARDEID.E. Genus Ardea. 



PURPLE HERON. 



Ardea purpurea, Lhnuens. 



(British : Rare abnormal spring and autumn migrant.) 



Single Brooded. Laying season in Europe, April to June : 

 varies greatly elsewhere. 



Breeding area : Southern Palaearctic region, Ethi- 

 opian and Oriental regions. The Purple Heron breeds 

 in Central and Southern Germany, in Holland, France, 

 the Spanish peninsula, Italy, Sicily, the valley of the 

 Danube, and Southern Russia. It also breeds in Asia 

 Minor and Palestine, Persia, Turkestan, India, Ceylon, 

 and Burma. Whether it breeds in Borneo, Celebes, the 

 Philippine Islands, Sumatra, Java, etc., appears not to be 



