ARDEA PURPUREA. 
n o O 
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which are broadly margined with yellowish rufous ; primaries, winglet, and tail dark slaty, slightly glossed with 
green ; secondaries paler slaty, glossed in a similar manner ; chin and throat white, the narrow black stripe in 
front as in the adult ; sides of the fore neck striped with black, and the rufous ground-colour paling on the chest 
and under surface into rufeseent buff, with broad slaty stripes, except on the abdomen and vent ; the latter almost 
white ; under tail-covel'ts, thighs, and edge of the under wing yellowish rufeseent. 
An immature bird in first- year, and about one year old, measures — Length 36‘2 inches ; wing 13'2 ; tail 4-5 ; tarsus 4-0 ; 
bill to gape 6-0. 
The plumage is less rufous than in the nestling, the back being slaty grey, with the edges of the scapulars and wing- 
coverts rufous ; the under surface buff-grey, with a few brownish-red feathers on the breast. 
Distribution. — This very handsome Heron is fairly common in the well-watered districts of the low country, 
and is much more numerous in the west and south-west than the last species, though the latter outnumbers it, 
I think, in the Eastern Province. It is to be found about the marshes near Borella; in the Mutturajawella 
swamp, at Ivotte and near Kaesbawa ; and at Bolgodde and Amblangoda Lakes it is numerous. On inland 
paddy-fields in the Galle and Matura districts it is likewise met with. In the south-east about the tanks 
near Kattregama, and at similar sheets of water in the Eastern Province, it is to he found in limited numbers ; 
and towards Trincomalie it is commoner again about Topoor and other tanks, and also towards Jaffna near 
salt lagoons where there are marshes surrounding them. It is distributed throughout the tanks of the interior 
from Kurunegala westward to Elephant Pass. In the peninsula it is likewise found at the head of the great 
lagoon near Ethelamaduvil, and at Pt. Pedro Layard met with it. It occurs down the west coast to Chilaw 
and Negombo in tolerable numbers, and near Calpentyn Mr. Nevill has found it breeding. 
In India it is widely distributed in well-watered districts. Mr. Bourdillon found it abundant in Travan- 
core, at the Vellarny Lake near Trevandrum, and in other similar localities it is no doubt plentiful. In the 
Deccan it is sparingly distributed, but common near Khandala ( Fairbank ) . It is found throughout Chota 
Nagpur, being recorded from the Rajmehal hills, Manbhum, Hazaribagh, Lohardugga, Orissa, Nowagarh, and 
Karial. About Calcutta it is moderately plentiful ; iu Furreedpore common and resident ; in Caoliar plentiful 
in the rains ; in Burmah local, being abundant near Thayetmyo, but not recorded from other places ; and in 
Tenasserim it is very sparingly distributed {Hume), being recorded only from Thatone, Tavoy, and Khyketo. 
It extends to the Andamans and Nicobars ; in the former it was procured by Mr. Hume at Tillangchong, by 
Mr. Davison at Aberbeen, and by Capt. Ramsay at Pt. Blair. In the Nicobars the second-named gentleman 
got it at Trinlcut. Following it southward to the Malay archipelago, we find that Mr. Buxton procured it 
in Lampong, Sumatra, and Mr. Everett in Sarawak, Borneo, where, however, it is uncommon and seen only 
during the north-east monsoon ; in the latter island it has also been procured at Banjermassing and Pagattan. 
In Labuan Mr. Mottley met with it, and Horsfield records it from Java. In Northern Celebes Herr Meyer 
found it common, and he likewise procured it at the Togian Islands. In the Philippines Meyen obtained it 
at Manilla ; and in China it is rare, Swinhoe recording it from Hankow, and Pere David from the province 
of Sezchuen and the vicinity of Pekin. It is not noticed from Japan by Mr. Blakiston, though Messrs. Finsch 
and Hartlaub say that it occurs there. Though ranging as far north, according to Pallas, as lat. 55° in 
Siberia, it seems to he rare in these regions, as I find no other record of its occurrence north of Turkestan, 
where Severtzoff says it breeds. This region brings us back again to North-west India, where Mr. Hume says 
it is common on the banks of the Indus, and about rushy tanks and streams in Sindh, Kutch, Guzerat, and 
Kattiawar. In Guzerat Capt. Butler met with it in most of the marshes in the plains. Throughout the 
northern parts of India towards the east it is found in suitable localities, and appears to be common in the 
Etawah district. 
In Palestine Canon Tristram found it abundant in the marshes of Huleh, and says it is resident in other 
parts of the country ; and Mr. Danford records it from Kaiseriyeh in Asia Minor. It is common in Southern 
Europe, being recorded as such in Bulgaria ( Elwes ), Southern Russia {Nordmann), on the Danube {Dresser), 
and in Greece {Kriiper). Lord Lilford says that it inhabits the Ionian Islands, and breeds in the Epirus. 
In Transylvania it is abundant, according to Messrs. Danford and Harvie Brown; and in Italy it is tolerably 
common, breeding in the country, hut not remaining in the winter, though it does in Sicily. In Sardinia 
it is a bird of passage ; and iu Malta Mr. Wright met with it only in spring and autumn. It is common 
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