90 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



Squacco Heron. Ardeola ralloides (Scop.). 



The Squacco Heron (Plate 32) is a summer visitor to southern 

 Europe, and it breeds as well as winters in Africa. It is a 

 frequent visitor to central Europe, and over sixty, mostly 

 immature, are known to have occurred in different parts of our 

 islands, the majority, naturally, in the south. 



The Squacco is a small skulking heron, hiding in thick 

 aquatic herbage during the day and feeding at night ; it is a 

 silent bird when away from its breeding haunts. It has the 

 usual varied diet, but takes more insects and crustaceans than 

 the larger herons. The general plumage in summer is buff and 

 white ; on the head and hind neck are dark streaks, and it has 

 a drooping crest of long, black-edged, white feathers. The buff 

 is richest on the neck and elongated breast feathers, browner 

 on the back and long, narrow plumes, and very pale on the 

 coverts. The bill is cobalt-blue with a black tip, the legs are 

 yellowish pink, the skin surrounding the eyes green, and the 

 irides yellow. In winter the plumes are lost and the back is 

 browner, and it is still darker brown in young birds, whose 

 neck streaks are more pronounced. Length, 20 ins. Wing, 

 9 ins. Tarsus, 2"6 ins. 



Little Bittern. Ixobrychus m'uiutus (Linn.). 



The Little Bittern (Plate 35) breeds in central and southern 

 Europe and Asia and winters in Africa. To the British Isles, 

 where it has occurred in all parts, even in the Shetlands, it is 

 an irregular visitor on migration, and, though actual proof is 

 lacking, probably nested within recent years in Norfolk and 

 perhaps elsewhere. As birds have been killed, regardless of 

 the close season, in spring and summer, there can be little 

 doubt that if unmolested the bird would nest. 



The small size — a heron about as big as a Lapwing — should 



