108 



Generally distributed throughout the British Islands, col- 

 lecting into colonies during the breeding-season. Found in 

 the Palaearctic, -^Ethiopian, Indian, and Australian Regions. 



Ardea purpurea. PURPLE HEEON. 



Ardea purpurea, Linnceus, S. N. i. p. 236 (1766). 



Ardea purpurea, Naum. ix. p. 63 ; Macg. iv. p. 453 ; Hewit- 

 son, p. 312; Gray, p. 145 ; Yarr. ed. 2, ii. p. 514; id. 

 ed. 3, ii. p. 545 ; Gould, iv. pi. 21 ; Harting, p. 55 ; 

 Dresser, vi. p. 217. 



The Purple Heron, Yarr. ed. 1, ii. p. 450. 



Purpurea = purple. 



A rare straggler to the southern counties of England, 

 occasionally straying to Scotland, and more rarely to Ireland. 

 It inhabits the temperate and tropical portions of the eastern 

 hemisphere : migratory in the northern portion of its range. 



Ardea alba, GEEAT WHITE HEEON. 

 Ardea alba, Linnaus, S. N. i. p. 239 (1766) . 



Ardea egretta, Naum. ix. p. 85, xiii. p. 255. 



Egretta nigrirostris et alba, Macg. iv. pp. 460, 465. 



Ardea alba, Gray, p. 146 ; Yarr. ed. 2, ii. p. 518 ; id. ed. 3, 



ii. p. 549; Harting, p. 147; Dresser, vi. p. 231. 

 Herodias alba, Gould, iv. pi. 22. 

 The Great White Heron, Yarr. ed. 1, ii. p. 454. 



Alba = white. 



Of accidental occurrence in England and Scotland, but there 

 are upwards of twenty records. It occurs in South-eastern 

 Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. 



Ardea garzetta. LITTLE EGEET. 

 Ardea Garzetta, Linnaeus, S. N. i. p. 237 (1766). 



Ardetta garzetta, Naum. ix. p. 101, xiii. p. 257. 

 Egretta garzetta, Macg. iv. p. 471. 



