358 PURPLE HERON. 



and in some parts of the south and east. In the Spanish 

 Peninsula it nests in reed-beds, as it does also from Central 

 Germany eastwards to the swampy parts of Southern Russia ; 

 the majority, however, migrate in the cold season from all the 

 countries on the northern side of the Mediterranean. It is found 

 in Madeira, and in Northern Africa, whence it departs in winter, 

 though resident in Egypt ; in Abyssinia it has been obtained at 

 an elevation of 9,000 ft. ; it inhabits suitable localities down to 

 Cape Colony, and has occurred in Madagascar. Across Asia it is 

 distributed as far as China, the Philippines, and the Indian 

 Archipelago 



Its breeding-places are usually difficult of access, being situated in 

 flooded swamps, or in the midst of dense masses of reeds, where 

 wading is almost impossible. Mr. Philip Crowley describes the nests 

 at the Naarden Meer, near Amsterdam, as placed about three feet 

 above the water, and made by bending down twelve or fifteen reeds 

 to form a platform, on which some smaller pieces were arranged cross- 

 wise, and this agrees with my experience in Spain ; but in Ceylon 

 this species breeds on trees, forming flat and rather bulky nests. The 

 eggs, usually 3 in number, are of a bluish-green colour, smaller than 

 those of the Common Heron : average measurements 2*2 by i"5 in. 

 In its habits the Purple Heron resembles the Bittern, being shy and, 

 to a considerable extent, crepuscular, or even nocturnal, in its 

 time of feeding. From the thinness of the long snake-like neck, 

 the birds, even though numerous, are with difficulty distinguished 

 when they are standing in a reed-margined lake, nearly up to the 

 belly in water ; their bodies, in the shimmering sunlight, exactly 

 resembling tussocks of rushes. The flight is similar to that of 

 its congener, but the note is more guttural. The food consists 

 of small mammals, reptiles, fishes and aquatic insects. 



The adult has the crown and long plumes glossy purplish-black ; 

 cheeks and sides of the neck fawn-colour, streaked with bluish-black; 

 back and wing-coverts dark slate-grey ; elongated filamentous dorsal 

 feathers, chestnut ; tail grey ; neck reddish-buff with a line of 

 black down each side, terminating in a mass of chestnut, grey and 

 black elongated feathers ; under wing-coverts chestnut ; breast rich 

 maroon-red; thighs rufous; bill yellow. Length from point of bill 

 to end of tail about 36 in. ; wing, i4'25 in. The sexes are alike in 

 plumage, but the male is the larger, 'i'he young, until their second 

 moult, are usually without the occipital crest, as well as the elongated 

 feathers at the base of the neck and on the scapulars ; the general 

 colour above is rust-ied, and the under T^arts are brownish-white. 



