SIX MONTHS’ BIRD COLLECTING IN EGYPT. 207 
T shall have some remarks to make on the occipital plumes 
of the Night-Heron, In the present species Yarrell states 
that they are dark slate blue, which is true of mine; but a 
celebrated falconer told me that he once got one with a 
white centre. I have twice seen Herons with four plumes, 
once with five, and once with six; but in the last I will not 
be sure that they had not been stuck in, as it was at the 
shop of a birdstuffer rather clever at such tricks of the trade. 
Mr. Rocke mentions getting a cock which at four months 
old exhibited the crest (Zoologist, ss., $1). 
170. PURPLE HERON, Ardea purpurea, Linn. ; 
“ Hagaf.” 
This is a very handsome bird. It is of a more slender 
build than the Grey Heron, and more solitary in disposition, 
but it is not anything like so common. I only shot one in 
Upper Egypt, and two at the Faioum, one of which I could 
not find. I did not see as many at that lake as I expected. 
There were only two or three pairs, which were going to 
nest with the Buff-Backs, I have no doubt. The first we 
obtained went through some very funny antics. I did not 
see it myself, but it was described to me as squatting flat 
down on its stomach, with its neck extended to the full 
stretch, as if, Ostrich-like, it thought it could hide itself on a 
bare bank of sand. 
17L. GREAT WHITE HERON, Herodias alba (Linn.) ; 
“Ryti” and “Balachium abiad.” 
Seen only occasionally and at such a distance as fully 
warranted its reputation of being a very shy bird; but one 
at least—upon Lake Menzaleh—was sufficiently near to 
make its identification pretty certain. 
