64 AEDBID^ HERODIAS 



Habits. — The Purple Heron is a shy and skulking bird ; it is 

 found in marshy places and along the banks of streams, and is 

 somewhat crepuscular in its habits ; with others of its kind it resorts 

 to a fixed place of abode at night, making daily excursions in search 

 of food ; this consists chiefly of small fishes, but it also devours 

 lizards, frogs and aquatic insects, as well as mice and rats. 



The Purple Heron has been observed breeding on the Zambesi, 

 by Kirk, in February, near Potchefstroom, by Ayres, and on the 

 Berg Eiver, by Mr. Kotze, in September ; the nest is placed as a rule 

 in a secluded reedy swamp, and is often difficult o£ access. Several 

 nests are generally found together, they are roughly formed, large 

 structures of sticks and rushes, and usually built up on a number of 

 reeds bent down to form a support ; they are often two or three 

 feet in diameter, and have a very slight concavity. The eggs, 

 which are two to three in number, are almost perfect ovals ; they 

 are pale blue in colour, and measure, on an average 2-2 x 1-6. 



Genus II. HERODIAS. 



Type. ^ 

 Herodias, Boia, his, 1822, p. 559 H. egretta. 



Closely resembling Ardea in structure, but with a slenderer bill 

 and neck, and of smaller size ; plumage pure white throughout, 

 with, in the breeding season, a dorsal train of elongated and decom- 

 posed plumes reaching beyond the tail ; these feathers consist of 

 the main shaft, with the rami or barbs set along it some distance 

 apart, and with no traces of the barbules connecting the barbs, so 

 that the latter are quite free from one another. 



Some eight or nine species of nearly world-wide distribution are 

 usually included in this genus. Three of these are found in South 

 Africa. 



Key of the Species. 



A. Larger, wing about 14; head only slightly 



crested, no decomposed feathers on the 



lower neck H. alba, p. 65. 



B. Smaller, wing about 12. 



a. Bill yellow ; head only slightly crested ; 

 ornamental decomposed plumes on the 

 breast in the breeding season H. bracliijrhyncha, p. 66. 



