240 



long feathers spring, these being over seven inches long ; a bunch of elongated feathers spring from the 

 lower throat, and are slightly tinged with cream-colour ; and from the lower back a large bunch of 

 elongated recurved hair-like plumes extend beyond the tail ; bill black, except at the base of the lower 

 mandible, where it is yellowish grey ; bare space about the eye lead-blue ; iris pale yellow ; legs black ; 

 the feet tinged with yellow, soles yellow. Total length about 22 inches, culmen 3"5, gape 4'2, wing 11/0, 

 tail 4'5, tarsus 4"4, bare portion of tibia 2"5. 



Adult Female. Resembles the male, but is rather smaller in size. 



Adult in winter. Differs from the adult in summer in lacking the dorsal and occipital plumes. 



Young. Pure white, the feathers on the lower neck rather elongated, but lacking the hair-like dorsal plumes 

 and the long nuchal feathers ; legs paler, and tinged with yellowish ; bare lores olivaceous. 



In Europe the Lesser Egret inhabits only the southern countries, being a rare straggler in the 

 northern and central portions, but ranges far south in Africa, and is found right across the 

 continent of Asia, and southward down to the Malay archipelago and Australia. 



In Great Britain it has certainly occurred on several occasions. Mr. Harting cites (Handb. 

 of Brit. B. p. 148) ten instances of its occurrence in England, one in Ireland, and one in Scotland, 

 but some of these are doubtful ; and Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., says (Rambl. Nat. p. 285) that of 

 all the recorded occurrences, five only appear to be above suspicion ; and he expresses great doubt 

 respecting the authenticity of the example in the Wisbeach Museum, said to have been killed at 

 Sleaford, Anwick, South Lincolnshire, in December 1851. Mr. Robert Gray does not include 

 this species in his work on the birds of the west of Scotland. The only occurrence on record in 

 Ireland is of the one said to have been obtained in December 1788 by the Rev. J. Elgee, of 

 Wexford ; but the specimen has long been missing, and it is impossible to state with certainty 

 whether it really was a Lesser Egret. 



It has not been obtained in Norway, Sweden, or Finland, and is very rare in Central Russia. 

 According to Severtzoff it has once been killed in the Tamboff Government ; and Artzibascheff 

 refers to it as being rare on the Sarpa, but much commoner at the mouth of the Volga. 

 Lichtenstein states that it has been obtained in Courland ; and Taczanowski says that it is 

 seldom seen in Poland. 



It is a very rare straggler to North Germany ; but Von Homeyer says (J. f. O. 1870, p. 230) 

 that it has been obtained on several occasions near the Lake of Trachenberg, on the property of 

 Prince Hatzfeld. Dr. Rey states that it has been once killed on the Salziger See ; and Gloger 

 records its occurrence in Silesia. 



It has been met with in Holland as a rare straggler, and has once occurred in Luxemburg. 

 In the north of Fiance, according to Degland and Gerbe, it is very seldom seen; but in the 

 southern departments it becomes commoner, and there is little doubt that it breeds in the 

 Camargue. Lacroix says that it occurs on passage in the French Pyrenees, where he has seen 

 it in April and May, and even as late as June, but never in the winter season. Mr. Howard 

 Saunders, who remarks that it occurs in suitable localities throughout Spain, adds (Ibis, 1871, 

 p. 391), it is " abundant in the Cotos of Donana, where it doubtless breeds ; but I have never been 

 able to obtain its eggs, owing to the unexampled drought which has prevailed for three successive 



