552 ARDEID.E. 



pelago, in Turkey, and in Hungary. Mr. Strickland says 

 it frequents the salt marshes west of Smyrna. Messrs. 

 Dickson and Ross saw a few at Erzeroum, about the river 

 from the beginning of May till October, sometimes in 

 flocks, and sometimes solitary ; and the Russian natura- 

 lists found this bird in the spring on the borders of the 

 salt lakes at Bakou. Large White Herons, brought from 

 India by Colonel Sykes and Major Franklin, were con- 

 sidered to be of the same species as the European bird, 

 although a little smaller in size. It feeds on small fish, 

 reptiles, mollusca, and aquatic insects, and breeds on the 

 ground among reeds and herbage, producing four or five 

 large bluish green eggs. 



Adult birds have the beak yellow at the base, black 

 towards the point ; the lore and bare space round the eye, 

 pale green ; irides yellow ; the whole plumage white ; the 

 feathers of the back of the head, and bottom of the neck 

 in front, elongated ; the interscapulars and dorsal feathers 

 very much elongated and filamentous ; legs, toes, and 

 claws, almost black. 



Adult males and females are alike in plumage. 



The whole length from the point of the beak to the end 

 of the tail exceeds three feet by a few inches. From the 

 eye to the end of the beak, four inches seven-eighths; 

 bare part of the tibia three inches and a half; length of 

 the tarsus six inches and a half; middle toe and claw four 

 inches and one quarter. 



Young birds do not acquire the elongated feathers during 

 their first or second year. 



