SQUACCO HERON. 467 



the counties named it has occurred more than once, and I am 

 indebted to the Rev. E. L. Davies, of Halwell House, near 

 Kingsbridge in Devonshire, for the knowledge of the occur- 

 rence of one that was shot in that neighbourhood so recently 

 as the month of July last, 1840. 



The native locality of this species appears to be along the 

 south-western parts of Asia, in Egypt, and Nubia. It has 

 been found in the countries bordering the Caspian Sea, in 

 the Grecian Archipelago, in Turkey, and in Italy. The 

 Zoological Society received a beautiful specimen from Sicily 

 in June last. It is obtained occasionally at Genoa and 

 Geneva, in Provence, in the middle of France, and in Ger- 

 many ; but, I believe, it has not been known to extend its 

 migrations into more northern regions. It inhabits the banks 

 of stagnant waters, morasses, the sides of rivers, and low 

 lands near the sea-shore. One of the specimens obtained on 

 the coast of Norfolk was caught alive, having entangled itself 

 in some fishing nets hung on stakes to dry. 



The Squacco Heron feeds on small fishes, mollusca, and 

 insects, and is said to build on trees, but the eggs are un- 

 known. 



The adult bird has the beak greenish brown, darkest in 

 colour towards the point ; the lore naked and green ; the 

 irides bright yellow ; the feathers on the top of the head pale 

 yellow brown, streaked longitudinally with dark lines, the 

 feathers becoming elongated towards the occiput, with a dark 

 line along each outer edge ; the feathers forming the occipital 

 plume are eight or nine in number, and from four to six 

 inches in length, lanceolate, pointed, pure white along the 

 centre, bounded on each side with a black line, with a very 

 narrow terminal margin of white ; the sides, front of the neck 

 at the bottom, and the back, rich buff colour ; interscapulars 

 reddish brown ; the feathers of the back elongated ; the Avebs 

 disunited, each filament having the appearance of a single 



2 H 2 



