PURPLE HERON.— SQUACCO HERON. 315 



trees, and forming flat, but rather bulky nests. At tbe same 

 page, the following description is given of the habits of the 

 bird : — " In its habits the Purple Heron is more like the 

 Bittern than the Heron last described, and it is shy, and to 

 a considerable extent crepuscular, and eyen nocturnal, in its 

 time of feeding. Prom the thinness of the long, snake-like 

 neck, the birds, even when numerous, are with difiBculty 

 distinguished, when they are standing in a reed-margined 

 lake, nearly up to their belly in water, their bodies in the 

 shimmering sunlight exactly resembling tussocks of reed. 

 The flight is similar to that of the Common Heron, but the 

 note is more guttural. The food of this species consists 

 of small mammalia, reptiles, fish, and aquatic insects." 

 Mr. Parkin (p. n.) gives the following account : — " Mr. Monk, 

 of St. Anne's, Lewes, has in his collection a Purple Heron, 

 which was shot by old Jack Fuller, of Brightling Park (a 

 well-known old sportsman), near Lewes, in 1823. A glass 

 case large enough for it could not then be procured for it in 

 England. The glass-blowers of Paris then doing larger work, 

 one was sent for from thence. The bird went into Mr. 

 Auckland's collection, at the dispersion of which it was pur- 

 chased by Mr. Monk. It was badly stufi'ed, the neck having 

 been cut in three pieces. It was re-stufifed by Mr. Swaysland, 

 of Brighton." 



SQUACCO HERON. 



Ardea ralloides. 



This little Heron occurs irregularly on migration, but does 

 not breed in the British Isles. It is an inhabitant of Southern 

 Europe and Africa. The Eev. H. B. Tristram, writing on the 

 "Ornithology of Algeria," in 'The Ibis,' 1860, p. 163, states 



