THE EGRET. 



183 



form was seen distending the thin skin of the bird's neck in its passage downwards, until it finally- 

 disappeared for ever." 



The writer remembers, as a boy, paying a visit to Lord Fitzwilliam's heronry, at Milton, near 

 Peterborough, one of the breeding-places mentioned by Mr. Harting in the foregoing account. On 

 many of the nests, which were placed at the top of some high trees, two birds were sitting side by side, 

 silent and unmoved as statues, save for the rocking which the gale of wind gave them. It was blowing 

 liard at the time, and many nearly full-grown young birds were on the ground walking about, whilst 



LESSER EGRET. 



not a few were entangled in their fall among the branches, and were liberated by us youngsters, not 

 without fear of an attack from the old birds, who croaked most ominously above our heads. 



The general colour of the Heron is grey above, white underneath, the breast black, with a white 

 patch in front. The throat and fore-neck are white streaked with black. On the head is a beautiful 

 pendent crest of black plumes. The forehead is white. 



Among the other species of the genus Ardea are the Egrets, most of which have snowy-white 

 plumage, with beautiful long crests and feathery plumes on the back during the breeding-season. 

 More than one species has occurred in England, but they are much more plentiful in certain parts of 

 the continent. 



In Hungary large numbers of Herons and Egrets breed together in the marshes, Egrets and 

 -Night Herons (Nycticorax griseus) herding together with Common and Purple Herons. Landbeck 



