PURPLE HERON. 8? 



are laid, and a few weeks later the heronry is lively. So large 

 are the nests that the old birds look small when they alight 

 upon them, uttering a deep growling gwrronk, answered by a 

 feeble pipe from newly hatched young. The hunger call of 

 older nestlings is an incessant chittering tac^ tac, tac, very like 

 the roosting note of the Blackbird. The nestlings are quaint, 

 half-naked little objects, with short, thick, blunt bills, showing 

 a trace of yellow, and stout lead-coloured legs. Prof. Newstead 

 found them " handy " with their bills when climbing amongst 

 the branches, hooking them over twigs when foothold was 

 insufficient. 



The bill of the adult bird and the irides are yellow, the legs 

 greenish brown. Length, 37 ins. Wing, 17*25 ins. Tarsus, 

 675 ins. 



Purple Heron. Ardea purpurea Linn. 



The Purple Heron (Plate 31) nests in many parts of Europe, 

 even so near England as Holland and France, in western Asia, 

 and Africa, but in our islands is only known as an uncommon 

 visitor on migration. 



In general build it resembles our Heron, but is smaller 

 and more richly coloured. Its crown and crest are purplish 

 black, whereas in our bird the forehead is white ; its back 

 and wings are dark slate-grey, but the elongated plumes 

 on the back are chestnut, and those overhanging the purple- 

 red breast are black, white, grey, and chestnut. The bill and 

 irides are yellow, the legs greenish yellow. Our Heron is shy, 

 but the Purple Heron is skulking ; indeed, in its love of dense 

 cover it resembles the Bittern more than the Heron. It has a 

 very long, thin neck, lined with black, and as it stands amongst 

 reeds is difficult to detect ; its feet are large in proportion, well 

 fitted for marsh walking. Its position in flight, its note and 

 food, are similar to those of our bird ; it feeds after dark when 

 its prey is most active. One bird, killed in Cheshire in April, 



