ABDBID^. 33 



Younfj. Head, neck, and upper plumage blackish brown, spotted with 

 white ; " below white, very thickly covered with blackish-brown spots, 

 but varv much. Length 30 inches. 



Order HEEODIONES. Pamily ARDEID^. 



182. Common IIerox. Ardea cinerea, Linnasus. Resident. 



Male. General colour ashy grey ; crown white ; crest and nape black ; 

 hind neck pale grey ; sides of breast black. 



Female. Crest less developed and plumage duller. 



Yoiuuj. Crown ashy ; sides of breast striped with black ; no plumes 

 on back. Length 36 inches. 



183. Purple Heron. Ardea purpui^ea, Linnieus. Straggler to Europe, 



England on migration : once in Scotland ; once in Ireland. ^' Africa, Asia, 



b o ' ^ passing S. in 



Adidt. Crown and crest black, with purple sheen ; back, wings, and winter. 

 tail dark slate-grey ; plumes on back pale chestinit ; luider wing-coverts 

 chestnut ; thighs rufous buff ; breast rich maroon-red. 



Young. General colour above rusty red ; below brownish white. 

 Length 30-32 inches. 



184. Great White Heron. Ardea alha, Linnseus. Very rare C. & S.E. 



stracijler to Great Britain : not observed in Ireland. ?1?^'.°P®' ^^^^' 



°° ... Africa. 



Entirely white ; bill and iris yellow ; legs and feet black. 

 In summer. Has bill black and many very long filamented plumes on 



back. Length 36-42 inches. 



185. Little Egret. Ardea (/arzetta, Linnaeus. One authentic record : S. Europe, 

 Devon, 1870. ' Asia, Japan, 



and Ceylon, to 

 Entirely white ; bill and legs black ; iris yellow. N. Australia, 



In summer. Has long filamentous plumes on back, and two or three Africa. 

 long feathers pendent from crown. Length 20 inches. 



186. Buff-backed or Cattle Heron, Ardea bubidcus, Audouin. s. Spain, 

 One occurrence : Devon, 1805. Africa. 



In summer. Crown, nape, feathers hanging from lower neck, and 

 plumes on back reddish buff ; these feathers are elongated and hair-like, 

 especially on the back ; rest of plumage white ; bill reddish at base, 

 yellow at tip ; iris rich pink, with golden ring round pupil. 



In winter. Entirely iv/tite, except a patch of reddish buff on head ; 

 bill and iris yellow. Length 18 inches. 



187. Squacco Heron. Ardea ralloides, Scopoli. Straggler to s. Europe, 

 England on micrration; rarely to Scotland or Ireland. Asia Minor, 



. p . , , N.Africa, 



Head light buff, with crest of from eight to ten elongated, narrow, wintering in 

 pointed white feathers, bordered at the sides with black ; plumes on S. Africa. 

 back dark reddish brown to light buff, long and hair-like; wings, rump, 

 tail, and lower parts, except the buff feathers pendent from neck, white; 

 bill leaden blue at base, black at tip. Length 18 inches. 



D 



