THE BIKDS OF HELIGOLAND 455 



any doubt as to the question of birds being able to migrate from 

 America to Europe. 



255. Common Heron [GRAUER REIHER]. 



ARDEA CINEREA, Brisson. 1 



Heligolandish : Keier= Heron. 



Ardea cincrea. Nauinann, ix. 24. 



Heron. Dresser, vi. 207. 



Heron cendre. Temminck, ii. 567, iv. 371. 



One or two young birds of this species are met with on some 

 of the days of the general autumn migrations, but old birds are 

 seen comparatively rarely, the only example which has ever come 

 into my hands having been a beautiful male in perfect plumage, with 

 long black feathers on the crown of the head ; this specimen has 

 a place in my collection. In addition to this, other individuals of 

 less advanced age have occurred on a few occasions. This extreme 

 rarity is the more singular, as the bird is known to breed up to 

 very high latitudes in Norway. 



The breeding range of this species extends from England and 

 France through the whole of temperate Europe and Asia. In 

 Norway it is said to advance, in exceptional cases, up to the 68th 

 parallel, though 57 N. latitude appears to be the more usual 

 limit of its breeding range. In the southern countries of the 

 Mediterranean it is only met with during the passage to its 

 winter quarters. 



256. Purple Heron [PURPUK REIHER]. 

 ARDEA PURPUREA, Linn. 



Ardea purpurea. Naumann, ix. 63. 



Purple Heron. Dresser, vi. 217. 



Heron poiirpre. Temrninck, Manuel, ii. 570, iv. 372. 



The only example of this species ever killed on this island was 

 obtained by me on the 9th of June 1847, since which time the bird 

 has not again been seen. This, however, need not specially surprise 

 us, as it advances to the extreme north of Germany only in 

 exceptional instances. In Holstein, the bird has, according to 

 Rohweder, only been seen and shot once. The specimen shot here 

 was a female of a very beautiful buff (rostgelb) colour. The nest- 

 ing range of this handsome species extends from Spain through 

 France, Germany, European and Asiatic Russia, and as far as China. 



1 Ardea cinerea (Linn.). 



