510 
THE STORY OF THE BIRDS . 
breeding-season the birds keep up a constant clapping noise with their beaks, 
and this noise not unfrequently betrays their whereabouts when soaring at 
such a height as to be quite invisible to the naked eye. As an instance of the 
constancy displayed by storks, it is stated that for three years a female, which 
remained during the winter in Europe, was visited annually by her mate, 
when both nested as usual. In the fourth year, however, the male bird also 
remained with his partner during the winter, and this continued for three 
years. Eventually both birds were shot, when it was discovered that the 
female had been prevented from migrating by an old wound. 
The Purple Heron—A straggler to Britain, the purple heron is common 
in Holland and Spain, and ranges over the greater part of Europe to the 
southward of Central Germany. To the eastward it ranges from the Medi¬ 
terranean to the Indian region, the north of China, and the Philippines, in 
such districts as are suitable to its habits, but only breeds in the warmer 
regions. Common and resident in Egypt, it appears to be mainly a winter 
visitor to most other parts of Africa, although it is a permanent inhabitant 
of certain n^arshy districts. The purple heron has a slender neck, and the 
crown and back of the head, together with the plumes, are purplish black; 
the cheeks and sides of the neck are fawn-color with streaks of bluish black; 
the back and wing-coverts are slaty gray; the long feathers on the back 
chestnut, the chin pale, and the neck reddish buff. 
Snowy Heron—Together with the smaller herons, this bird is also known 
as the egret. The male bird, which measures about twenty-five inches in 
length, during spring and summer has the whole plumage pure white, with 
a crest of two long, narrow feathers, some long plumes on the lower part of 
the front of the neck, and the filament-like feathers of the back greatly 
developed. The winter dress lacks the crest and the plumes on the back. 
In Southern and Southeastern Europe the snowy heron is common, and it 
ranges through Asia Minor and Persia to India, China and Japan; while it 
occurs throughout Africa, and has been obtained from Northern Australia. 
The snowy heron nests in bushes and trees in the neighborhood of swamps, 
in company with the other waders; the nest being a platform-like structure 
of sticks intermingled with a few reeds, upon which are laid from three to 
six bluish green eggs. The bird differs from the white heron in being 
generally very noisy. 
Avocet—This bird is closely related to the stilt. Its extremely long bill is 
curved upward at the end. The avocets are found in the same localities as 
the stilts, with the exception that none breed in India or the adjacent coun- 
