210 



A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Distribution. — England. — Immature female near Kingsbridge 

 (Devon), end Oct., 1805 (ut supra). Male, Breydon Marshes 

 (Norfolk), Oct. 23, 1917 (F. W. Smalley, Brit. B., xi, p. 146). [One 

 recorded Martock (Somerset), Jan. 28, 1909, evidence insufficient. 

 ZooL, 1915, p. 318 ; Brit. B., x, p. 70.] 



Distribution. — Abroad. — S. Spain and S. Portugal and Africa, in 

 Asia eastwards at least as far as Persia, but represented by A. ibis 

 coromanda in Far East, India, and Malayan Archipelago to the 

 Moluccas. Casual Madeira and Canaries. 



ARDEOLA RALLOIDES 



279. Ardeola ralloides (Scop.)— THE SQUACCO HERON. 



Aedea ralloides Scopoli, Annus 1 Historico-Natur., p. 88 (1769- 



Carniola). 



Ardea ralloides Scopoli, Yarrell, iv, p. 191 ; Saunders, p. 377. 



The Squacco Heron ( Ardeola ralloides). Adult, summer. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter. — Whole 

 crown, back and sides of neck pale yellow-bun 2 , feathers 

 with brown-black stripes along each side, those on sides 

 of neck browner and less broad than those on crown 

 and back of neck, feathers of crown narrow and elon- 

 gated, and those of back of crown and nape greatly 

 elongated, narrow and pointed and whiter not so buff, forming long 

 crest ; mantle, scapulars and innermost secondaries pink-brown, 

 some outer scapulars golden-buff (tips of feathers of upper-mantle 

 with separated rami and feathers of lower -mantle and scapulars 

 long with much elongated and separated rami, but not so much so 

 as in Buff -backed Heron) ; back and rump white ; chin and centre 

 of throat white ; sides of throat and long feathers of lower-throat 

 golden-buff striped black-brown ; rest of under-parts white ; tail- 

 and wing -feathers, except brownish innermost secondaries, white ; 

 wing-coverts white, tinged more or less golden-buff. This plumage 

 is acquired by full moult June-Dec. Summer. — Feathers of body 

 and wing-coverts moult Jan. -May and varying number of brown 

 inner secondaries but not rest of wings or tail. New plumage like 

 winter but feathers of throat, sides and base of neck and long 



