226 BIRDS. 



beneath, the members of which are, as a rule, far too busy 

 with the affairs of earth to trouble about what is transpir- 

 ing up above. During a high wind, herons may be seen 

 grasping the swaying boughs with their bills in most 

 grotesque attitudes. The nest, often used and enlarged 

 year after year, is at first a mere platform of sticks with 

 some kind of grassy lining, and is placed in the top of 

 high trees. Eggs, 3 to 5, 2^ inches; pale green. 



Purple Heron. A rare straggler to the east coast, of 

 which only two or three have been obtained in Scotland, 

 and but one in Ireland. 



Great White Heron. A very rare straggler from the 

 South, less than ten having been taken in Great Britain 

 and none in Ireland. 



Little Egret. A still rarer wanderer from the South. 

 Almost all of the supposed occurrences are rejected by 

 Mr Saunders and others. 



Buff-backed Heron. One example only exists, and it 

 was taken in Devon. It is a southern bird. 



Squacco Heron. An occasional straggler from the South 

 to our southern counties. Has also occurred twice in 

 Scotland and half-a-dozen times in Ireland. 



Night Heron might, so far as the south-western counties 

 go, be regarded as an almost regular spring and autumn 

 visitor, but wanders rarely farther north than Yorkshire, 

 where it occurs only at long intervals. It has been taken 

 half-a-dozen times in Scotland and about a dozen in Ire- 

 land. It is only about two-thirds the size of the heron ; 

 the plumage is metallic black, the wings and neck grey, 

 the crest white. 



2. BITTEKNS. 



Almost a regular summer visitor to the eastern counties, 

 this bird has also straggled to Scotland and Ireland. It 

 * Little is supposed to have bred comparatively re- 

 Bittern. C ently in the Broad district, but the nest has 

 never been seen. It is a small bird, about half the size of 



