LITTLE EGRET. 137 



GRALLATORES. ARDEIDM. 



PLATE CLXIII. 



LITTLE EGRET. 



ARDEA GARZETTA. 



The Little Egret is of very rare occurrence in the British 

 isles at present, although it was formerly rather plentiful, ac- 

 cording to Latham and other earlv authors. The geogra- 

 phical distribution of this species, however, exceeds that of 

 the great white heron. In Europe the Little Egret inhabits 

 principally the borders of the Black Sea, Turkey, Greece, 

 and Italy ; it is also found in Sicily and the south of France. 

 In parts of Africa it is met with, namely, in Egypt, Nubia, 

 and Senegal ; also in the southern provinces of Russia. In 

 Hungary is a certain swampy ground, intersected by ponds 

 and rivulets, where not only the Little Egret but innumerable 

 waders of different descriptions are found congregated. 



The localities usually chosen by this species are generally 

 the swampy banks of rivers and lakes, where the flags and 

 reeds are of low growth, in the vicinity of woods and large 

 trees, in which the birds roost at night. 



The general appearance of the Little Egret is very elegant, 

 not only in consequence of its diminutive size and pure white 

 feathering, but in its bearing and movements, which are bv 

 far more graceful than those of the other members of the 

 heron family. On the wing the Little Egret is rather quicker 

 in flight than the larger species, but in windy weather it is 



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