PURPLE HERON. 145 



his general accuracy of observation so aptly describes,* 

 is always a grand sight to witness, whether ascending of 

 its own free will beyond our powers of vision, or com- 

 pelled to adopt its spiral ascent, as a means of escape, 

 from the carrion-crow or other feathered persecutors. 

 Under either circumstances I have watched at various 

 times the actions of this noble bird, and could but 

 contrast the power and ease of its movements, when 

 almost lost in the clouds, with its clumsy efforts to 

 rise, and slow laboured flight when abruptly disturbed 

 in a drain, or from the side of a reed-bush. Herons are 

 not, I believe, particularly pugnacious amongst them- 

 selves, but a singular occurrence at Roydon some years 

 ago is recorded in the "Zoologist" for 1846 (p. 1212) 

 by the Eev. H. T. Frere. A pair of herons were seen by 

 a boy fighting on the ground, and on running up to 

 them one flew away and the other lay still and allowed 

 the boy to pick it up. He then carried it to a gentleman 

 who examined the bird, and found it very little injured, 

 and on being placed on the lawn to recover, it soon 

 availed itself of the chance, and, stretching its wings, 

 made off altogether. 



ARDEA PURPUREA, Linnaeus. 

 PURPLE HERON. 



It seems most probable from his minute description 

 of the plumagef that under the name of " Black Heron" 



* " notasque paludes 

 Deserit, atque altam supra volat ardea nubem." 



Georg : Lib. i., 1. 363, 364. 



t " Black on the sides, the bottom of the neck, with white grey 

 on the outside, spotted all along with black on the inside. A black 

 coppe of small feathers some a span long ; bill pointed and yellow, 



u 



