360 GREAT WHITE HERON. 



been observed, but some of them were probably Spoonbills ; while 

 several records are unworthy of serious consideration. 



The Great White Heron occasionally visits the south of Sweden, 

 and the north-east of Prussia, but is of very rare occurrence in 

 Poland ; although near Glogau, in Silesia, a pair was found breeding 

 by A. von Homeyer in 1863. Over a great part of the area drained 

 by the Danube and its tributaries it was formerly plentiful in 

 summer, but owing to persecution for its plumes, its numbers have 

 been much reduced of late years ; in the Black Sea district however, 

 and the south of Russia, it is still common. Throughout the basin 

 of the Mediterranean, and in the marshy parts of Italy it is not 

 unfrequent, especially in winter ; it visits the south of France and 

 the east of Spain ; and sometimes wanders to the Azores. Across 

 Asia it is met with in suitable localities as far east as Manchuria and 

 Japan, migrating from the northern districts in autumn ; while in the 

 Indian region there is a rather smaller resident form. In North 

 Africa, from Morocco to Egypt, it principally occurs in winter, and 

 it has been found, like the Purple Heron, on the high table-lands of 

 Abyssinia ; while southward, identified specimens have recently been 

 obtained in the Orange Free State. Its representative in Australia 

 and New Zealand is said to have the bill yellow throughout the 

 year ; whereas our bird has the bill black in summer, and yellow at 

 other times. In America there is a closely-allied species, A. egrelia, 

 which has the bill yellow and the tarsi and tibiae black at all seasons. 



The nest found by Homeyer was slightly built and placed in an old 

 fir-tree, and three recently hatched birds were found in it on June 

 28th. In India, where the breeding-time depends upon the rains, 

 the nests are built from October to February, in half-submerged 

 groves ; while in Ceylon Col Legge found them in the same 

 trees with those of other Herons, Spoonbills &c. The eggs, 3-4 

 in number, are pale greenish-blue : average measurements 2*5 by 

 I "5 in. The food consists of small fish, reptiles, molluscs and 

 aquatic insects. 



The adult has the whole plumage white ; the feathers at the back 

 of the head very slightly elongated, but those at the bottom of the 

 neck in front more so ; dorsal feathers very long and filamentous in 

 spring, but absent in autumn ; bill black during the breeding-season, 

 but afterwards yellon'; lores and orbits pale green; irides yellow; legs 

 and feet blackish; tibiae paler. Length about 40 in. ; wing 17-18 in. 

 The males are the larger, and have more developed plumes. In the 

 young bird the bill is yellowish, the legs are paler, and the elongated 

 feathers are not acquired until the second spring. 



