204 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Field-characters. — In general appearance much like Common 

 Heron but slighter and smaller and at a little distance decidedly 

 darker, distinctive coloration being observable on nearer view. Much 

 more secretive than Common Heron and frequenting usually reed- 

 grown or thickly grown marshes or shallow lakes. Note seldom 

 uttered, much like Common Heron's but less loud. (H.F.W.) 



Breeding-habits. — Breeds in reed-beds, cane-brakes, willow- 

 swamps and marshes, usually in colonies of varying size. Nest. — 

 Usually built of dead reed-stems, carelessly arranged and standing 

 two or three feet out of the water, occasionally when resting on 

 willows or sallows (once on tamarisk bushes) rather higher, some- 

 times even 10 or 12 feet up. Eggs. — 3-5 as a rule, exceptionally 6, 

 greenish-blue, frequently splashed with whitewash, rather smaller 

 and in a series slightly deeper in tint than Common Herons' . Average 

 of 100 eggs 56.2x40.8. Max. : 61.1x43.1 and 57x44.7. Min. : 

 50.2 x 39.5 and 51 .5 X 38 mm. Breeding -season. — Occasionally early 

 April in Spain, but often not till May, and in Central Europe usually 

 early May. Incubation. — No details available as to share of sexes 

 or period. Almost certainly single -brooded, but clutches found 

 sometimes very late in season. 



Food. — Mainly fish, amphibia and small mammals. Mice have 

 been found in stomach ; Saunders says eels are favourite prey, but 

 pike also taken 11 J in. long and many other species. Also frogs 

 and tadpoles, worms, aquatic insects, especially water-beetles and 

 their larvse. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Rare vagrant. Over fifty, chiefly 

 east coast England south of Wash, more rarely south coast, and 

 very rarely elsewhere. In Scotland only few occurrences (one East 

 Lothian, Oct., 1872 ; one Caithness, Sept., 1907 ; one stated 

 obtained about 1872 is in Aberdeen Univ. Mus. ; one seen Berwick- 

 shire, April, 1917). In Ireland only one (Monaghan, prior to 1834). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds locally from Holland, France, 

 Hungary, south Russia to north Africa ; more or less migratory in 

 Europe, but resident and winter-visitor in many parts of tropical 

 and south Africa, extending eastwards to Persian Gulf and west 

 central Asia. Casual Madeira and Canaries. Replaced by another 

 form in India, China, and Malayan Archipelago. 



Genus EGRETTA Forst. 



Egretta Forster, Synopt. Cat. Brit. B., p. 59 (1817 — Monotype: 

 E. garzetta). 



Plumage entirely white, in two tropical forms dichromatic (as 

 in Demiegretta sacra), i.e. either white or slate-grey. Bill slenderer 

 than in Ardea. On back elongated feathers with hair-like thin ends 

 and decomposed webs, this nuptial " train " reaching beyond tips 

 of wings. About a dozen species in all parts of world. 



