391 



PURPLE HERON. 

 Ardea purpurea (Z.). 



Accidental visitant from southern Europe and Africa, of extremely- 

 rare occurrence. 



The Purple Heron breeds in Holland and commonly in 

 south-east Europe, migrating in winter to Africa. 



The first known Yorkshire specimen of this bird is that 

 referred to by Thomas ALUs in 1844 : — 



Ardea purpurea. — Purple Heron — One shot near Flamborough in 

 1833, by Mr. Pick of that place, mentioned in F. O. Morris's catalogue 

 of " Yorkshire Birds," now in the collection of A. Strickland, Esq., 

 is a specimen in young plumage and the only one we have heard of. 



This species is an accidental visitant to the British Isles, 

 and has been noted in this county on si.x different occasions, 

 in spring and summer. 



The first, alluded to by Allis in his Report, is now in the 

 York Museum. 



At Lowthorpe one occurred at some old fish ponds, in the 

 spring of 1847, and was mentioned by the Rev. F. O. Morris 

 in the Zoologist (1849, P- 2591) ; Mr. St. Quintin informs me 

 this bird is in his possession, and is placed at the Lowthorpe 

 Lodge. 



Near Leeds a male specimen was procured at Temple 

 Thorpe. 



Mr. Thomas Stephenson states that an immature bird was 

 obtained in the summer of i860, by Joshua Barry, at Rus- 

 warp Dam, and was stuffed by J. Kitching. This specimen 

 is now in the Whitby Museum. 



A male example, taken in July 1862, by W. Wellburn, 

 gamekeeper, at Hornsea Mere, is in the Burton Agnes collec- 

 tion, formed by the late Sir Henry Boynton, where I have had 

 an opportunity of seeing it. 



And the latest occurrence was reported in the Naturalist 

 (1888, p. 330), by Mr. W. Eagle Clarke, who says he examined 

 in the flesh a fine mature male, which had been killed on igth 



VOL. II, c 



