244 HI- RON TRIBE 



rani^e of the species migrate to the Mediterranean countries and South 

 Africa, but instances are not unknown of their breeding in the latter 

 country. With such an extensive range, it is only natural to expect 

 great local variation in the time of the breeding-season, and as a 

 matter of fact this is actually the case. In England and Ireland, for 

 instance, herons return to their old nests as early as January, and, if 

 these require only to be repaired, the eggs are generally laid early in 

 February in Ireland, and early in March in England — sometimes con- 

 siderably earlier — and the j'oung birds are hatched four weeks later. 

 Very generally a second clutch of eggs is laid — sometimes before the 

 first young ones have departed — but before the end of Juh' the whole 

 business of breeding is finished. On the otlicr hand, in Ceylon the 

 breeding-season lasts from November to March, while in peninsular 

 India it takes place from INIarch to May, but in Sind is deferred till 

 July and August. Why it should be so unusually late in such an 

 intensely hot country as Sind does not appear to have been explained, 

 but it may be that it depends upon the rainy season. 



Although it has only once been recorded (1904) as breeding in 

 the Outer Hebrides, almost throughout the British Islands the heron 

 is a resident species, and for the greater part of the year is more or 

 less solitary in its habits, but in the breeding-season generally collects 

 in large colonies, although sometimes only a few pairs nest in companj*. 

 The patient watching of a solitary heron standing mid-leg deep in the 

 water of some quiet stream awaiting its prey is too well known to 

 need more than passing mention ; and although such a sight is now 

 rarely seen in many parts of England, there are other districts where 

 it is happily common enough. Indeed, despite the persecution to 

 which these birds are subject at the hand of the irresponsible gunner, 

 it is satisfactory to learn that the number of British heronries is in- 

 creasing instead of diminishing. As there are several works in which 

 more or less nearly complete lists of these heronries are given, it will 

 suffice to state that the number is very great in England, although in 

 Scotland there are comparatively few of any size ; Ireland, however, 

 has a large list. The female repairs or builds the nest with the sticks 

 brought by her mate, and also takes the greater part of the duty of 

 incubation, although relieved at times by her mate ; the celerity and 

 stillness with which the two birds change places on such occasions 

 being very noteworthy. Generally heronries are built in tall trees ; 

 but on an island off the west coast of Scotland herons have been 

 observed, from force of circumstances, to construct their nests on low 

 hawthorn bushes. Herons have also been observed elsewhere in Great 



