194 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Characters and allied forms. — P. I. major (Egypt, Syria east- 

 wards) is larger. Shape of bill and bare skin extending down centre 

 of throat distinguish species. 



Field -characters. — Large size, white colouring, with black 

 spatulate beak and black feet distinguish this species readily. In 

 flight head is not retracted as in Great White Heron. Usually seen 

 flying in file in small parties. At close quarters crested feathers of 

 crown and orange-tawny patch on crop of adult visible. Flight 

 slow and regular. No call except a low grunting note, only audible 

 at very close quarters. (F. C.R.J.) 



Breeding-habits. — Sociable, nesting in colonies in dense reed- 

 beds, or at times on bare islets and on tamarisk bushes in marshy 

 ground. Nest. — Often quite close together, large, roughly built 

 of dead reed-stalks, drifted vegetation from shore and in some 

 cases dead tamarisk branches and sticks. Some nests are built up 

 quite 2 ft. above water-level. Eggs. — Usually 4, sometimes 3 only, 

 or occasionally 5 and even 6, dull white, rather scantily spotted 

 with a few smears or blotches of rusty-brown. Average of 88 eggs. 

 67x45.4. Max. : 74.6x44.9 and 64.5x49.2. Min. : 58.2x47 and 

 67.5x41 mm. Breeding-season. — Eggs laid towards end April or 

 early in May. Incubation. — Little definite on record, but I believe 

 both sexes take part. Single -brooded. 



Food. — Apparently largely vegetable matter, probably marsh- 

 grasses and water -weeds, but also small fish, mollusca, small frogs, 

 newts, leeches, worms and insects and their larvae, coleoptera, 

 especially water-beetles, odonata, neuroptera, trichoptera, etc. 

 Saunders also records Crustacea. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Passage-migrant in Norfolk and 

 Kent, vagrant elsewhere. A few visit Norfolk annually April to 

 June (once March 31) and Aug. to Oct. (occasionally July and once 

 Nov. 21), and Kent every spring. To south coast England (especi- 

 ally Hants and Devon where almost annual) and to Pembroke and 

 Cardigan (Dovey) fairly frequent vagrant, usually in autumn, but 

 also at other times. Inland on west coast (except where mentioned), 

 and north of Yorks. (where recorded about nine times) very rare. 

 Stragglers as far as Inner and Outer Hebrides, Orkneys and Shet- 

 lands. In Ireland some thirty-seven recorded from maritime 

 counties, chiefly in south. Formerly bred East Anglia, Sussex, 

 Middlesex, Pembroke, and elsewhere. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Very seldom visiting Scandinavia and 

 north Russia, but south of 56° north lat. breeding locally in suit- 

 able localities (still nesting in Holland, but apparently no longer in 

 France), south in Spain, Hungary, Dalmatia, basin of Lower Danube 

 and south Russia ; apparently also resident in parts of north and 

 east Africa, west and central Asia and India ; casual in Atlantic 

 Isles. In winter in tropical Africa and India. Represented by 

 allied form in Asia, westwards to Syria and Egypt. 



