128 PtrRPLE HERON. 



having a greenish tint on the L,*^s and near the 

 gape. The irides are bright gamboge-yellow. On 

 the fore part of the breast there are two patches 

 of a thick yellow down, concealed by the other 

 plumes, and which we find more or less in all the 

 Herons. This is jointed in its structure, and 

 would appear to be connected with the habits of 

 this tribe of birds. 



In the birds of immature plumage, we have the 

 blackish-grey colour predominating, with a consi- 

 derable tinge of brown, no white in the crown, 

 which gradually shades into black on the occiput, 

 the feathers there lengthening, but without chang- 

 ing into the narrow form of those in the adults. 

 We have also no elongation on the back or lower 

 part of the neck, and the white, in the centre of 

 the breast and belly, is bordered only with black- 

 ish-grey. 



THE PURPLE HERON, ARDEA PURPUREA. A. 

 purpurea, Linn. Heron pourpre, Temm. Pur- 

 ple Heron, Purple-crested Heron, Crested Purple 

 Heron, African Heron of British authors. This 

 beautiful Heron has been sufficiently often killed 

 in England, to entitle it to the rank of a frequent 

 occasional visitant. Its range in our islands, 

 however, is confined to the south, for we know 

 of no instance of its occurrence in Scotland, and 

 Mr. Thompson has recorded its appearance in 

 Ireland only once. We possess one native spe- 



