24 AKDEID.E 



mentions another occurrence, a bird taken near Yarmouth 

 in 1827. But this specimen is not now in existence, having 

 been destroyed by moths. 



DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 



PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial.' Top of head, crest, 

 fore-nape, plumes of the back and neck, bright buff-colour, 

 rest of the plumage white, shading to light cream-colour on 

 the wing-coverts. 



Adult female nuptial. Similar in colour to the male, 

 but with less developed plumes. 



Adult winter, male and female. The long buff feathers 

 are absent, so that the bird is almost pure white. 



Immature, male and female. Somewhat resembles the 

 adult in winter, but the white is less pure. 



BEAK. Keddish at the base, tipped with yellow. 



FEET. Yellowish-red." 



IRIDES. Pinkish-yellow. 



EGGS. Pale blue ; ends rounded : clutch three. 



AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 



TOTAL LENGTH ... 19 in. Female smaller. 



WING 9-5 



BEAK 2'25 ,, 



TARSO-METATARSUS ... 3 - 25 ,, 

 EGG 1-8 X 1-3 in. 



SQUACCO HERON. Ardea ralloides (Scopoli). 



Coloured Figures. Gould, ' Birds of Great Britain,' vol. iv, pi. 

 25; Dresser, 'Birds of Europe,' vol. vi, pi. 400, fig. 2 ; 

 Lilford, ' Coloured Figures,' vol. vii, pi. 9. 



The Squacco Heron, resident and plentiful in North 

 Africa, and fairly common as a summer-migrant in parts of 

 Southern and Central Europe, occurs only as a scarce and 

 irregular visitor to the British Isles. Immature birds have, 

 for the most part, been obtained in the spring or summer 

 months. 



A specimen taken at Boyton, Wiltshire, in 1775, appears 



