HERONS. 365 



Has been several times shot in Denmark ; twice in the 

 south of Norway. Was named by Linnaeus as a Swedish 

 bird, which in summer was met with in Westerhotten and 

 Lapland; but no modern naturalist can corroborate this 

 statement. Is certainly only accidental in the north. 



Gen. Ardecbj L. 



Beak as long or a little longer than the head ; the whole 

 of the hind toe resting on the ground ; nostrils basal, oblong ; 

 eyes placed in a naked cere, which joins on to the beak ; 

 wings round. 



Distinguished from all the other waders by the peculiar 

 shape of the neck (which can be drawn back and laid on 

 the shoulders), and the four bare patches under the feathers, 

 covered only with fine down, one on each side of the breast, 

 and one on each side of the rump. I think three may be 

 taken as the full number of eggs of all this genus. 



DIUENAL. Neck long, and covered with short feathers. 



182. AEDEA CINEEEA, Lath. Eager. The Heron. D. F. 



Length 3 ft. 3 in. ; beak 5 in. ; tarsus 6- in. ; much 



longer than the middle toe ; crest on back of head 6 in. ; 



colour above ash-grey ; tail, wing primaries, and crest 



black ; long white feathers hanging 6 to 8 in. down on 



the lower part of the neck ; beak and eye yellow ; legs 



grey-brown, over the knee orange red. (This, however, 



is not the case in all.) In the old female the tarsi and 



crest are much shorter than in the male ; iris yellow. 



Common in some places, in the south of Scandinavia. I 



have occasionally procured specimens both of old and young 



birds in Wermland, but I do not think they go further north 



in the interior. On the Norwegian coast appear to go up as 



far as Trondtheim. Breed in colonies, like rooks on trees; 



eggs generally three, pale blue-green. 



183. A PUEPUEEA, L. Purpur Hager. The Purple Heron. 



Length about 32 in. ; tail 5 in. ; beak from gape 6 in. 

 41.; naked part of tibia 2 in.; colour above dark slate 

 grey; neck rusty yellow, with black longitudinal 



