PURPLE HERON. 475 



The food of the Purple Heron is composed largely of fish ; but this fare 

 is varied with water-insects and their larvae, mice, rats, and frogs. This 

 prey it captures by silently waiting and watching for it in some secluded 

 part of its haunt ; darting now at a little fish swimming past, or a frog 

 that has unwittingly approached too near. It is not improbable that this 

 bird occasionally leaves the cover at night and repairs to the drier and open 

 land near its haunt, to hunt for the small mammals that are known to 

 form part of its fare. It obtains much of its food during the night, 

 especially if there is a moon, when it may sometimes be noticed stalking 

 solemnly along the gloomy margins of pools. It is said often to roost on 

 small islands, and occasionally to resort to a low tree or tall shrub. 



The valley of the Danube is the most northern locality where the Purple 

 Heron breeds regularly, and even there it is generally found in isolated 

 pairs, fresh eggs being obtained during June. In South-west Russia 

 Gdbel found it breeding in small colonies at about the same date. It is 

 a much more tropical bird than the Common Heron, and is much less 

 gregarious in its habits during the breeding-season. Mr. Ayres found it 

 breeding in the Transvaal, and remarks that frequently five or six pairs 

 breed in company, placing their nests within five or six yards of each 

 other. Hume remarks that in India fresh eggs have been met with as 

 early as April and as late as August. Irby obtained eggs at Gibraltar 

 during the latter half of April. In all these cases the nests were large 

 structures, built of dead reeds, and resting upon bent-down reeds. Gobel, 

 however, states that the foundations of the nests that he found were placed 

 upon low willow bushes, from one to two feet above the level of the ground, 

 and under the shelter of reeds. Gates found large colonies of these birds 

 breeding in Burma in July and August, the nests being made of sticks, 

 and placed on matted reeds near the surface of the water. On the other 

 hand, Major Legge says that its breeding-habits in Ceylon are somewhat 

 different. He states that it breeds in trees, in colonies, together with the 

 Great "White Egret. He obtained nearly fresh eggs in the north of Ceylon 

 in December, and in the south of that island newly hatched young have 

 been obtained in March. 



The nest of the Purple Heron is a large structure, two feet or more in 

 diameter, and is very flat. The eggs are from three to five in number, 

 and vary considerably both in size and shape, some being much more 

 rounded than others. They vary in length from 2'45 to 1'95 inch, and in 

 breadth from T75 to T45 inch. They are greenish blue, and do not 

 differ in colour or texture fr.om those of the Common Heron, from which 

 it is impossible to distinguish them, though on an average they are slightly 

 smaller. The Purple Heron only rears one brood during the season. 

 When the colony is disturbed the birds fly round, uttering loud cries. 

 The Purple Heron is slightly smaller than the Common Heron, but 



