nor is this bird mentioned by any local author.

i Ing "Norfolk: but no date is given,
called ¢ Jingham, in Norfolk ; bu g ;
ol aaa ; to have been noticed, either im Norfolk or

since 1834, this Heron does not appear

singularly enough : :
Singularly eee t adult male, now in my possession, was shot on

Suffolk, until the 26th of June 1863, when a magnificen

. ae Norwich. The marsbman-who
Surlingham Broad, neat INonmice  Bhe mars: | a d, though * mobbed’
on the marshy borders of the stream, and, ugh ‘mobbe

shot it informed me afterwards that it appeared
extremely tame, flying round and alighting se
rmed at the approach of either man or boat.

House, Aston-on-Clure, informs me that a very fine specimen was killed,
Yee Hill at Brockleton in Shropshire, by the late Mr. John Patrick,

by the rooks, was by no means ala

Mr. Jobn Rocke, of Clungunford
he believes, in 1842, under the Brown (
aud passed into the possession of the late G. H. Dausey, Esq., of Lael oe

According to Dr. Leith Adams, it is generally distributed over the lakes and gels Oo t ae unyal:

Dr. Henry Giglioli mentions, ‘n his notes on the birds observed by him at Pisa and m its Te Neo uaed
in 1864, that ‘the beautiful Squacco Heron abounds in May, and I have seen flocks ol it on the fenny flats
between this place and Leghorn ; it prefers the places where cattle are grazing.” (< Ibis,’ 1865.)

Bailly, in bis ‘ Ornithologie de la Savoie,’ states that the pqiseao Heron ‘ annals visits the central
regions of France, and occasionally occurs in the north and in Belgium. Individuals Cs all ages regularly
appear in Switzerland and Savoy, the young birds at the end of the summer or during the first days of
autumn, and the adults in spring, about April or May. Like the purple Heron and the small Egret, it
evinces but little shyness, and, being scarcely disturbed at the sight of man, is easily approached ; when
alarmed by his proximity, it merely removes to a short distance and again settles on the ground, a tree, or a
stump. If surprised in a thicket, it endeavours to elude observation by crouching down, drawing in its neck,
and remaining still; but if it perceives itself detected, flies away and hides at a greater distance.”

The following are the other principal localities in which this interesting bird has been observed :—in the
marsh of Zana in the Eastern Atlas, by Mr. Salvin; in the moist meadows round Jaffa in Southern Palestine,
the Rev. H. B. Tristram ; in large flocks in September in the marshes on the Red Sea, near Bas Belul, and
Asab Bay, between 13° and 14° north latitude, by Dr. Heuglin; and Dr. Kirk, in his notes on the Zambesi
region, states that it is there commonly seen in pairs, feeding in marshes and shallow water.

Mr. J. H. Gurney states that it inhabits but is not common in the colony of Natal, that it there frequents
the lagoons on the coast and occasionally strays inland; and remarks that it appears to feed on insects, that
its flight is heavy, and that against a strong wind it is able to make but little headway.

It must not be supposed that the Squacco Heron is always adorned with the gay and beautiful dress in
which I have figured it, or that the young birds during the first two years of their existence are similarly
clothed; for such is not the case; the lengthened plumes which spring from the head in my figure are, I
believe, seasonal, being merely assumed just prior to, and worn during, the breeding-season, after which they
are thrown off. ‘Lhe young birds are much darker, and have the back- and neck-feathers short and mottled ;
but the sexes when mature are very similar, like the Bittern, to which this bird is nearly allied.

The nest of the Squacco Heron is a slight structure, very like that of the Bittern, and is placed in similar

-s = ~ « o >» eOre> : nah » - eo eo oe ¢ S ° =
situations among the reeds. The eggs are four or five in number, of a clear bluish green, without markings
of any kind.

As its trivie rench ni Cogs ee ee :
ae rivial French name of ‘“‘ Héron Crabier implies, it is stated to be a great devourer of crabs ; it
also feeds upon most of the inhabi 5 ee eps a :
- I inhabitants of the marshes, from an insect to a frog, to which fish and doubt-
ess young birds and small feeble quadrupeds are added.

I ope ae : sae a :
t is said to be fond of associating with cattle and other animals, to sometimes perch on trees like the

The following : ae ought up from the nest.
1e following is < 1 Sn : ce
g is a description of the plumage during the pairin

at tl base or 1 lly I 3S i a k

ir apical half, and have a broad bord c I
. : : , é ad borc lack on each
side throughout their entire length ; er of deep black

ae ent tte ; chin and centre of the upper part of the throat white ; sides of the neck,
ower part of the throat, and the pendent feathers of the breast rich
down those on each side of the posterior

all the upper surface of the

Mangrove Bitterns of Australia, and to be easily tamed if br

g-season :—

ochre-yellow, with a brown streak

Var aK 6

a part of the neck and a few of those of the centre of the breast ;
aH npr v0dy rich ochre-yellow, with a v
al an ay S ere . ? ’ hie) ’ “1 ~

aul, and under surface white ; irides yellow ;

of the bill light leaden blue, the tip black ;
ry . ;
The figure is of the natural size. The pl

inous wash on the centre of the back; wings,
7 eye-orbits and base of both mandibles green ; middle portion
eos : ‘hr

gs and feet pale ochre-yellow ; claws black.

ant in the foreground is the Forget-me-not (Myosotis palustris).