THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 87 



reports a ninth Heronry at Pixton Park near 

 Dulverton. On the Exe, I often meet with Herons; 

 on a fine moonlight night, I have counted as many 

 as a dozen birds scattered along the edge of the 

 river, waiting patiently for their prey. 



PURPLE R^RO^.—Ardea purpurea, Linn. 



A RARE visitant. Dr. Moore in 1837 included this 

 species in the Devonshire list on very imperfect 

 evidence, stating only that an immature bird was 

 seen by Mr. Gosling on the Plym, in April 1824, 

 and that a second was noticed by several persons 

 at Flete, in December 1836. Nor does the Editor 

 know anything of the bird which Mr. H. Saunders 

 states (Yarrell B.B. vol. IV. p. 173), no doubt 

 correctly, to have been obtained near Plymouth by 

 Mr. Plump tre Methuen ; but Gatcombe unquestion- 

 ably obtained an immature Purple Heron at a 

 poulterer's in Stonehouse, October 30th, 1857 (Zool. 

 1859. p. 6376). 



LITTLE EGRET.— Arden f/arzetf a, Linn. 



A RARE visitant, having only been observed in our 

 county in a solitary instance. Mr. Gatcombe 

 records that a beautiful specimen was killed at 

 Countess Weir, on the Exe, upon the 3rd of June 

 1870. It was in perfectly adult plumage, and 

 became the property of Mr. E. H. Harbottle of 

 Topsham (Zool. 1870. p. 2308). This bird is now 

 deposited on loan in the Exeter Museum. 



