144 ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 



purple ; the quill-feathers of the wings in part of an 

 ashy blue^ and in part blackish with a shade of olive ; 

 and those of the tail ash-coloured above and bluish 

 beneath. The whole of the under parts have more or 

 less of a reddish tinge ; the fore part of the neck and 

 breast have a shade of yellow, and elongated black and 

 purplish spots ; and the hinder part of the breast and 

 abdomen are of a purplish brown on the sides and 

 black in the middle, with a few purplish brown spots. 

 The bill is longer, slenderer, and more pointed than 

 in the common species, greenish brown above and yel- 

 lowish beneath ; the naked part of the cheeks yellowish ; 

 the iris orange; and the legs dusky greenish brown. 

 In length the middle toe and tarsus are nearly equal, 

 each measuring something more than five inches. 



The African Heron, as it is called, seems to have 

 little to do with Africa. It is most common in Siberia 

 and on the coasts of the Caspian and the Black Sea, 

 and is not unfrequent in Italy, Switzerland, and some 

 parts of Germany. In France it is seldom met with, 

 and very few authentic instances are recorded of its 

 occurrence in England. Its manners appear to be 

 nearly identical with those of the Common Heron, with 

 the exception that it is said to attach itself more parti- 

 cularly to mountainous countries. 



