PURPLE HERON itr) 
Brax. Yellow; strong, wedge-shaped, and well pointed 
at the extremity. 
FrET. Greenish-brown. 
IrtpEs. Light orange-colour; bare patch in front of 
the eye, green. 
AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 
TOTAL LENGTH ... went in. Hemale smaller. 
WING ae a ~ LEDS, 
Brak eat eee a 
TARSO-MET: ATARSUS ~ 16r%o 
EGG ee ee ba 5 x1 ime 
PURPLE HERON. drdea purpurea (Linneus). 
Coloured Figures.—Gould, ‘Birds of Great Britain,’ vol. iv, 
pl 21; Dresser, ‘Birds of Hurope,’ vol. vi; pl: 396; 
Lilford, ‘ Coloured Figures,’ vol. vii, pl. 5. 
The Purple Heron is a rare and an irregular visitor, occur- 
ring chiefly on the east coast of England. According to Mr. 
Saunders, about fifty examples have been taken in our Isles, 
and these mostly immature. In the ‘ Zoologist’ for 1903, 
p- 107, mention is made by Mr. Steele- Elliott of the capture 
of a specimen in Hertfordshire in November, 1902. There is 
only one record of the Purple Heron having been obtained 
in Ireland, namely, a bird shot at Carrickmacross, co. Mona- 
ghan, in 1834. This specimen is preserved in the Science 
and Art Museum, Dublin (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1834, p. 30). 
From its plumage it is evidently an adult bird. 
In Scotland, this species has been recorded from Caith- 
ness and Aberdeenshire more than forty years ago, while an 
immature bird was shot near Prestonpans, Kast Lothian, 
in October,1872 (Saunders). 
In its habits the Purple Heron is shy and wary ; by day 
it skulks amid the long reeds of marsh and riverside, 
where it harmonises so exactly with the surroundings that 
its presence may be altogether overlooked, or its long 
thin neck may be mistaken for a reed. 
Flight.—The flight is buoyant and well sustained. 
Voice——The note is hoarse like that of the Common 
Heron. 
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