3 ‘


although it still breeds in considerable numbers in Holland and

some parts of France, hike the Bittern, it feeds on fish, etc.,

chiefly at night, remaining concealed in the thick reeds all day

long, with its long snake-like neck drawn close into its shoulders.


In captivity it is a sluggish bird, rarely rousing itself

except when called to rescue a friend in distress.


When hungry, the Purple Herons will often stand motion¬

less, looking down into the pond in the vain hope of seeing

some dinner. On the arrival of the food, they all stretch out their

necks and come round the person feeding them, uttering hoarse

croaks. It is astonishing what large pieces they can swallow

whole ; they have no idea of pulling the fish to pieces, it must

go down whole or not at all. Having got a piece of fish well

into the mouth, they keep the neck stretched straight up and

allow the food to slide slowly down the throat.


Sometimes two of them will seize hold of the same piece

of fish, and a regular tug of war ensues, which lasts sometimes

for ten minutes, both holding on with great pertinacit}\

Occasionally, one of these tugs will be commenced at the

beginning of feeding-time, and they become so engaged that,

were the}^ not separated, there would be no food left by the time

their sport is ended.


They are fed once a day, generally about 4.30 p.111.


The Purple Heron cannot stand a very severe cold : so

the directors of Zoological Gardens tell us; I, however, carried

mine safely through the severe cold of last winter, without any

artificial heat. They were kept shut up in a wooden shed,

having a floor raised one foot from the ground and thickly

covered with sawdust. By the end of the frost they were rather

weak, and had it continued would, I fear, have succumbed. In

the adult stage they are remarkably handsome birds, and being

unable to improve upon the description in Mr. Howard Saunders’

invaluable manual, I reproduce it in full: “The crown and long

plumes glossy purplish black ; cheeks and sides of the neck

fawn colour streaked with bluish black ; back and wing coverts

dark slate grey ; elongated filamentous dorsal feathers chestnut;

tail grey ; neck reddish buff with a line of black down each

side, terminating in a mass of chestnut, grey, and black elongated

feathers ; under-wing coverts chestnut; breast rich maroon red ;

thighs rufous ; bill yellow.


The remaining occupant of the aviaiy, the Night Heron,

is an annual though scarce winter visitant to our shores,

and is another of those species which would probably breed

occasionally with us, were a little more forbearance used by



