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the nesting-season ; and I never knew an instance of its occurrence in winter. My earliest dates 

 of arrival observed near Gibraltar were the 4th April 1870, 7th April 1871, 25th March 1872, 

 7th March 1874. They are extremely abundant, and generally easy to get a shot at, being 

 seldom found in the open, but almost always among rushes or swampy jungle, and are very 

 rarely seen to perch on trees. There is, about five miles from Gibraltar, beyond the first river 

 (Guadarranque), on the right of the road to Los Barrios, a leech-preserve, grandly called the 

 ' laguna,' perhaps two acres in extent. This swamp is a dense mass of tall rushes springing up 

 through masses of dead ones, the growth of years past, all so matted and tangled together as to 

 make it very difficult to pass through them, more especially as the water is in places up to one's 

 armpits. This delightful spot is a very favourite nesting-place of the Purple Heron ; and there 

 generally used to be three pairs nesting there, also two nests of Marsh-Harriers." 



Passing eastward I find it recorded from Savoy as occurring principally on passage in the 



spring, when it is numerous. It is tolerably common in Italy, where a good number breed, and 



still more pass on migration ; but it does not remain throughout the winter, as it appears to do 



in Sicily, where it also breeds and is generally abundant. In Sardinia it seems to be rather 



scarce ; and Mr. A. B. Brooke states (Ibis, 1873, p. 340) that it only occurs there during 



passage, none remaining to breed. In Malta, Mr. C. A. Wright writes (Ibis, 1864, p. 143), 



"large flocks may be seen passing in spring and autumn. Single birds are also often seen 



and shot. They alight on the carob-trees and along the sea-shore." Lord Lilford met with 



it in the Ionian Islands, and believes that it breeds in Epirus, as he frequently saw young birds 



in July and August; and Dr. Kriiper says that it appears in Greece late in March. He saw 



the first in 1873 on the 28th March, and in 1874 on the 26th April in Attica, and states that 



it is said to breed in the large swamps. In Southern Germany it is a common bird in many 



localities. Dr. A. Fritsch says (J. f. O. 1871, p. 390) that it visits Bohemia almost every year, 



and appears to breed there. In 1863 about a hundred individuals appeared in the vicinity of 



Frauenburg, and nested on the Gross Tissy Lake. On the Danube it is a common bird; I 



frequently saw it when travelling in the countries bordering that river ; and Messrs. Elwes and 



Buckley say that it is common in Bulgaria, especially about the lakes and backwaters of the 



Danube. In Southern Bussia it is stated by Professor von Nordmann to be even more numerous 



than the common Heron. It is a summer resident there, leaving about the middle of September ; 



and in the Uman district it is, Herr Goebel says, very common during summer, but as it nests 



on the inaccessible floating islands he was never able to get its eggs. I have no details respecting 



its occurrence in Asia Minor, where it is doubtless common; and in Palestine it is, Canon 



Tristram states, scattered throughout the whole country in small numbers at all times of the 



year. Throughout Africa, as far south as the Cape of Good Hope, the present species is found 



in suitable localities, and breeds in the Transvaal. Captain Shelley writes (B. of Egypt, p. 266) 



that it is " resident and very plentiful in some parts of Lower Egypt and the Fayoom. I met 



with great numbers on the desert side of Birket el Korn, among the thick banks of sedge that 



grow in the lake. They are not nearly so shy as the common Heron, and always frequent the 



dense reeds ; on being disturbed they would rarely go straight away, but generally flew round 



over the same spot several times, so that they were easily shot." Von Heuglin writes that it 



was met with by him throughout the whole of that portion of Africa he visited. He believes 



