PURP L E HERON.
A rd e a p u rpure a , Lin n .
L e H e ron pou rpré.
In this elegant species t o cannot fail to remark one o f those beantifnl gradations o f form „„¡ting proximate
groups which the ornithologist meets with so continually in his survey o f the feathered tribes and which
serves to show that the harmony obtaining throughout all great groups is interminable, except by the accidental
annihilation o f species. These observations apply with peculiar force to the bird before us, which seems to
take an intermediate station between the Common Heron on the one hand and the Bittern on the other-
to the former it assimilates in the length and slenderness o f the neck, in the occipital plumes, and in thè
lengthened form o f the bill, while by its large spreading toes, straight long nails and shorter legs, it is closely
connected with the Bittern, to which it also bears a striking similarity in its habits and manners Unlike the
Common Heron which prefers open countries and the exposed edges o f large sheets o f water, the Purple
Heron haunts the dense coverts o f reed-beds, morasses, and swampy lands, abounding in luxuriant vegetation
among which it is concealed from observation, and instead o f building its nest on the topmost branches o f
the tallest trees, it incubates on the ground amongst that herbage which affords it an habitual asylum. As is
also the case with the Bittern, the eggs are three in number, and o f an uniform pale bluish green
The range o f this species is so great, that we may say in few words it inhabits the whole o f Europe, Asia
and Africa. It is especially abundant in Holland, and in the low marshy districts o f France in the British
Islands it must be considered as an accidental rather than a regular visitant, and we suspect that many of
those kiUed in England had escaped from captivity, since numbers are annually brought aliye from Holland to
the London markets, where we have frequently seen a dozen at one time, together with Spoonbills, Common
Herons and Bitterns, all in the most beautiful state o f plumage, having been captured during the season of
incubation ; and often accompanied by hundreds o f their eggs. We fear that this wholesale traffic has much
diminished the numbers of these species, for the supply has been much less abundant during the last two or
three years than it was formerly.
The food o f the Purple Heron consists offish, frogs, mice, and insects.
The sexes are alike in plumage after, they have attained complete maturity ; and may be thus described •
g g Crown of the head, occiput, occipital crest, a stripe down the back of the neck, another from the corner of
the mouth to the back of the neck, and one passing down each side o f the neck, black ; throat White • sides
and front of the neck rufous, the feathers on the lower half of the latter part lighter and with a broad stripe
of blackish brown down the centre; the plumes at the bottom of the neck long, acuminate, and of a greyish
white; lower part of the back of the neck, back, wings, flanks, and tail bluish grey, tinged with rufous-
shoulders and under wing-coverts rich rufous; breast, all the under surface, and the long filamentous ends of
the scapular.es, deep reddish brown, intermingled with bluish grey; thighs pale rufous; bare space before
the eyes and the bill fine gamboge yellow, with the exception of the’ ridge or oilmen, which is brown ; irides
pale yellow ; legs and feet greenish black.
The young are destitute o f the occipital crest, and o f the elongated feathers o f the scapularies and at the base
o f the neck, until they are three years old; the forehead and crown o f the occiput are grey with a reddish
tint; the neck is much paler, and destitute o f the black stripes; front o f the neck white, with longitudinal
blank spots; under surface reddish white; upper mandible .blackish brown; under mandible, bare space
before the eyes, and irides pale yellow.
We have figured an adult male about two thirds o f the natural size.