80 Mr. H. ^oh\e— Forty-four 
built of dead rushes, from four to ten feet from the ground, 
in swamps and reed-beds. Some nests contained five eggs, 
but three or four were more usual. On April 27th we found 
them fresh and incubated, and young on May 14th. Three 
nests were on low tamarisk-bushes in the middle of a large 
colony of the smaller species of Herons. 
Ardea garzetta. 
The Little Egret is common locally. On bushes in Laguna 
Taraja, in the carefully preserved Goto Donana, I found this 
bird breeding in some numbers. The nests were slight 
platforms of sticks placed on tamarisks growing in water 
three or four feet deep, and many had full sets of four and 
five eggs on April 27th. 
Ardea bubulcus. 
The Buff-backed Heron is more numerous than the last- 
named_, and breeds in the same place and at the same time : 
full sets of eggs were found on April 27th. It is also much 
tamer and will sit quietly whilst you wait within a few yards, 
though this is not necessary to identify the eggs, which are 
always much lighter in colour than those of the Little Egret 
or the Night-Heron. 
Nycticorax griseus. 
Local, and breeds later than the above-mentioned species. 
On our first visit to the Heron-colony (April 27th) the Night- 
Herons had hardly begun to lay, and none were sitting. On 
May ]4th we watched several to their nests, which contained 
from three to four (we never saw five) slightly incubated 
eggs. The nests were placed rather high up in the bushes, and 
when disturbed the birds did not return readily. These eggs 
are valueless if not identified, for they cannot with certainty 
be distinguished from those of the Little Egret, though they 
are generally a little laiger. 
Ardea ralloides. 
The Squacco is the rarest of the Spanish Herons ; it was 
breeding in the aforesaid colony, but rather later. In April 
we did not see a bird, but on May J 4th we found several nests 
w^ith from three to six eggs, all fresh. The nests are better 
