24 ARDEIDA 
mentions another occurrence, a bird taken near Yarmouth 
in 1827. But this specimen is not now in existence, having 
been destroyed by moths. 
DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 
PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial.—Top of head, crest, 
fore-nape, plumes of the back and neck, bright buff-colour, 
rest of the plumage white, shading to light cream-colour on 
the wing-coverts. 
Adult female nuptial.—Similar in colour to the male, 
but with less developed plumes. 
Adult winter, male and female.—The long buff feathers 
are absent, so that the bird is almost pure white. 
Immature, male and female.-—Somewhat resembles the 
adult in winter, but the white is less pure. 
Beak. Reddish at the base, tipped with yellow. 
Freer. Yellowish-red. 
Tripes. Pinkish-yellow. 
Eaas. Pale blue ; ends rounded: clutch three. 
AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 
TOTAL LENGTH .. 19 in. Female smaller. 
WING ... ne or 2 OD 
BHAI .22 ee Same DPD oree 
TARSO-METATARSUS ... oo 
EGG ... a ee sk eilco wick, 
SQUACCO HERON. Ardea ralloides (Scopoli). 
Coloured Figures.—Gould, ‘ Birds of Great Britain,’ vol. iv, pl. 
25; Dresser, ‘Birds of Europe,’ vol. vi, pl. 400, fig. 2; 
Lilford, ‘Coloured Figures,’ vol. vii, pl. 9. 
The Squacco Heron, resident and plentiful in North 
Africa, and fairly common as a summer-migrant in parts of 
Southern and Central Europe, occurs only as a scarce and 
irregular visitor to the British Isles. Immature birds have, 
for the most part, been obtained in the spring or summer 
months. 
A specimen taken at Boyton, Wiltshire, in 1775, appears 
