ARDEA CINEKJKA. 183 
and generally easy to get a sliot at, being seldom found iu 
the open, but almost always among rushes or swampy jungle, 
and are very rarely seen to perch on trees. There is, about 
five miles from Gibraltar, beyond the first river (Guadar- 
ranque), on the right of the road to Los Barrios, a leech- 
preserve, grandly called the " laguna,"" perhaps two acres in 
extent and surrounded by poplar trees. This SAvamp is a 
dense mass of tall rushes springing up through masses of 
dead ones, the growth of years past, all so matted r.nd 
tangled together as to make it very difficult to pass through 
them, more especially as the water is in places up to one^s 
armpits. This delightful spot is a very favourite nesting-place 
of the Purple Heron; and there generally used to be three pairs 
nesting there, also two nests of Marsh-Harriers. 
These Herons commence to lay about the 13th of April, 
as a rule depositing three eggs (rarely four), as the folloAv- 
ing few instances of nests taken and seen will show : — on 
the 21st of April two nests — one with four, one wdth three 
eggs, all fresh ; on the 1 8th of April two nests — one with 
one, the other wdtli three fresh eggs ; on the 6th of May two 
nests — one with three fresh eggs, the other with three eggs 
hard sat-on. The nests, varying much in size and consisting 
merely of a few dried rushes collected together so as to form 
a sort of platform just clear of the water, are generally 
twenty or thirty yards apart. The eggs are light bluish 
green, similar in colour to those of Ardea cinerea. 
It is rather remarkable that Purple Herons should generally 
choose their building-places near to Marsh- Harriers, as the 
latter repeatedly rob them of their eggs. Many a nest have 
I seen with nothing but empty shells, the work of the egg- 
sucking Harrier. 
255. Ardea cinerea, Linn. The Common Heron. 
Moorish. Aishoush, Bou-ank (Favier). Spanish. Garza. 
" This species is, in the vicinity of Tangier, both resident 
and migratory. Those which migrate pass over to Europe 
during February and March, returning in November and 
December, being at all seasons plentiful. ^^ — Favier. 
