368 Lieut. R. E. Vauglian and Staff-Surg. K. H. Jones 



Phoyx manillensis. 



The Eastern Purple Heron is a rare winter visitor to some 

 parts of the coast ; it has been obtained at Deep Bay. 



Ardea cinerea. 



Herons are resident on the West River^ but are rare on 

 tlie coast. In their habits they resemble their western 

 relations, but display remarkable fearlessness and familiarity 

 in their choice of a uestiug-site. 



In the centre o£ Samshui city, in the precincts of the 

 Magistrate's Yamen, is an immense and aged tree, and in 

 this a large heronry is situated. The nests are at a height 

 of about sixty feet from the ground, among the uj)per and 

 smaller branches, which are for the most part dead. There 

 is another heronry at Shiu Hing city, in the Magistrate's 

 garden, where the birds are never disturbed, and in this 

 case the nests are placed in several scattered banyan-trees, 

 and like those at Samshui are in the upper and dead branches. 

 A few Night Herons breed in this colouy also. 



The nests are remarkably small for those of this species, 

 appearing to be little larger than those of a Ring Dove, 

 and the sitting bird spreads over them both fore and aft. 

 After the eggs are laid the nests are somewhat added to in 

 bulk however. On January 23, at Samshui, three nests were 

 in process of construction, but on February 16 thirty-three 

 were counted in this one tree, and although some contained 

 well-incubated eggs, others were not yet finished. Twenty- 

 four of the nests contained four eggs each. After one egg 

 is laid the bird sits on the nest. A clutch generally exhibits 

 eggs in various stages from fresh to those in which the embryo 

 is formed. Eggs have been taken on May 3 and on June 4, 

 so that this bird is almost certainly double-brooded. Owing 

 to the fact that the tree at Samshui sheds its leaves at the end 

 of February and becomes green again in April, the nests in 

 the heronries and the birds on them are conspicuous for a 

 great distance. 



The Herons capture remarkably large fish at Samshui 

 and Shiu Hing, and the Magistrate's coolies get many a 

 good meal from those which are dropped from the tree tops. 



