210 British Birds, 



met with on the ground and even in a laurel. — Fig. 1, 

 plate VIIL 



PURPLE HERON— (^r^m pttrpurcd). 



A few instances only of the occurrence of this bird 

 in Britain have been recorded. 



GREAT WHITE HERON— (^r^^^ alba). 



White Heron, Great Egret. — A rarer and more 

 accidental visitor than even the bird last named. 



LITTLE YJ^'KYll—{Ardea garzetta). 



Egret, Egret Heron, Little Egret Heron. — There is 

 good reason to believe that this bird may once, at a 

 remote period, have been sufficiently common, or even 

 abundant in England. Now, however, it is of exceed- 

 ingly rare occurrence anywhere within the British 

 seas. 



BUFF-BACKED HERON— (/^r^^ abtibulcus; 

 formerly, A. russaia). 



Red-billed Heron, Rufous-backed Egret, Little 

 White Heron (the young). — An exceedingly rare bird, 

 with as scanty claim as not a few others to be con- 

 sidered British at all. 



SQUACCO HERON— (^r^^^ ralloides). 



BufF-coloured Egret. — A bird which has been met 

 with in several of the counties in the southern half 

 of England, and I believe more or less frequently in 

 some of them. Still it is but a visitor, and, com- 

 paratively with many other not very common birds, a 



