186 ARDEIDiE. 



that continent down to Cape Colony, although necessarily 

 local in its distribution. 



The nests of the Little Egret are usually placed in bushes 

 and trees, together with those of other swamp-loving species ; 

 the material consisting of sticks and a few reeds, on 

 which are deposited the eggs, varying from three to six in 

 number: of a pale bluish-green; averaging 1"8 by 1*3 in. 

 Dr. H. Gadow informs the Editor that he shot examples of 

 this species on the 17th April, 1884, round an isolated rock 

 on the south coast of Portugal, on the inaccessible summit 

 of which this species appeared to be breeding, together with 

 some species of Gull. Mr. Seebohm describes this bird as 

 being very noisy, and uttering a note of alarm or defiance 

 resembling the sjdlables ak, ark, and ork. 



The food of the Little Egret consists of small fishes, 

 aquatic insects, frogs, and worms. 



The adult bird in spring and summer has the beak black ; 

 the lore lavender ; the irides vary from yellow to pale 

 lavender ; the whole of the plumage a pure and delicate 

 white ; crest of two long narrow feathers ; some elongated 

 plumes at the bottom of the neck in front ; feathers of the 

 back greatly lengthened and filamentous ; the legs mostly 

 black, yellowish on the lower portions, as are also the soles 

 of the feet ; claws black. In winter the dorsal and occipital 

 plumes are absent. 



The whole length of the male is twenty-five inches ; from 

 the beak to the feathers on the forehead, three inches and 

 a half; from the carpal joint to the end of the wing, eleven 

 inches and a quarter ; length of tarsus four inches ; bare 

 part above, two inches and a half. Females are rather 

 smaller ; but Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., says that the plumes 

 are sometimes equally developed. 



Young birds are white with a greyish tinge, and have no 

 elongated plumes. A nestling from the Dobrudscha, for 

 which the Editor is indebted to Mr. E. Bidwell, is covered 

 with a greyish down distinctly tinged with buff" on the upper 

 parts, and very different from the white of the preceding 

 species. 



