BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 289 



THE Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea, Linnaeus) is a rare 

 irregular spring and autumn migrant to the British Isles. 

 It inhabits most of the temperate and tropical regions of 

 the Eastern Hemisphere; in the northern parts it is migra- 

 tory. The adult has the crown and elongated feathers of 

 occiput purplish-black ; back and wing-coverts, deep slate- 

 grey; dorsal plumes, rusty-red; chin and throat, white; 

 sides of head and neck, ferruginous, with streaks of blackish ; 

 neck, yellowish-chestnut, with a black line down each side ; 

 elongated feathers on chest, black, grey, and reddish ; under 

 parts, rich chestnut ; irides, yellow ; bill, yellow, brownish 

 above ; legs and feet, olive. Length, from twenty-nine to 

 thirty-six inches. 



LITTLE EGRET. 



THE Little Egret (Ardea garzetta, Linnaeus) is an exceed- 

 ingly rare irregular spring and autumn migrant to the British 

 Isles, and inhabits the Southern Palearctic Region and 

 Ethiopian and Oriental Regions. The adult in summer 

 plumage has a crest on the occiput consisting of two elon- 

 gated feathers; lower neck, furnished with lengthened 

 feathers ; back plumes, elongated ; entire plumage, white ; 

 irides, light yellow; naked part round eye, lavender; bill 

 and legs, blackish ; lower part of feet, yellowish. Length, 

 about twenty-four inches. The plumes of the adult female 

 are said to be shorter than those of the adult male, but 

 otherwise the plumage is similar. The young have no 

 lengthened plumes. (P. 290.) 



