THE HERON. 65 



stronghold is in the north of Africa, Syria, and 

 Hungary. 



The lovely Purple Heron (Ardea purpura) , a bird of 

 most brilliant purple and brown plumage, is less rarely 

 seen in England, but still it is a bird accidental in its 

 visits. The same remarks apply to the Night Heron 

 (Ardea nycticorax\ a bird of very beautiful gray 

 plumage, and of a shorter, more compact build of 

 body than those we have described. The Squacco 

 Heron (Ardea ralloides] is a bird of most beautiful 

 delicate brown and gray plumage, and carries from its 

 head long plumes ; it is a small species, 16 inches 

 in length. 



The Buff-backed Heron (Ardea bubukus) is a whitish 

 bird washed with buff, about the size of the little 

 egret, and about equally rare. The little bittern, 

 which is much the smallest of the heron family, is 

 only 13 inches long, and does not exceed in weight 

 a young pigeon ; it lays white eggs, whereas all 

 the other herons of Europe lay blue or greenish eggs* 

 It is a pretty little bird, quite unlike any other European 

 species. The Common Heron (Ardea rinered) is a bird 

 with which most country folks are familiar. Its long 

 neck and bright gray plumage render it a conspicuous 

 object on the wing. It is strictly preserved in many 

 heronries. It is of a bluish ash-colour, with long 

 black plumes on the back of the head, and feathers of 

 a shining white hanging from the lower part of the 

 neck, and those of the scapularies are of a silvery 

 gray -, the forehead, neck, middle of the belly, edge 

 of the wings and thighs of pure white, the sides of 

 the breast and flanks of a deep black, in front of the 

 F 



