312 
ARDEIDiE. 
GRA LLA TORES. 
A RDE1DAE. 
PURPLE HERON. 
Aiidea purpurea. 
PLATE LXXXII. FIG. III. 
With tlie exception of the common heron, this beau¬ 
tiful tribe of birds has but little claim to be accounted 
British, all of the species being very rare visitants of our 
shores. From the late Mr. Hoy, who was an eye witness 
of its habits, I have the following information regarding 
the present species. 
“ The Purple Heron does not begin to breed so early as 
the common heron, the end of May being the time of incu¬ 
bation; it is of a shy and retired disposition, keeping for 
the most part amongst reeds and woody swamps. It has 
much the habits of the bittern, and, when standing on the 
watch for its prey, has, at a little distance, something the 
appearance of that bird, with the neck very much bent 
and drawn in between the shoulders. They breed in 
society, like the common heron, very frequently in low 
trees, in plantations of alder and willow in the vicinity 
of rivers, and large inland waters, the nests being only 
a few feet above the ground, upon which they are like¬ 
wise sometimes placed, in swamps overgrown with tall 
rushes, and in extensive tracts of reeds; they are large 
and flat, and are either composed entirely of sticks finer 
towards the inside, or lined with species of dry sedge and 
rushes. The eggs are commonly four, rarely five in num¬ 
ber, and differ considerably in size and shape, as well as 
in colour/' some being considerably darker than the Plate. 
