SQUACCO HERON.
A rd e a comata, Palla s .
L e H e ron crabier.
The Squacco Heron is one o f those birds whose occasional visits have procured for it a place in the Fauna
o f Great Britain. We are in possession o f several facts relative to its capture in different parts o f England,
but more particularly Norfolk and Lincolnshire, and within the last few years we know o f more than one
killed in the marshy districts surrounding Great Yarmouth; in addition to which Dr. Latham mentions
two or three instances o f its capture, one in Wiltshire by Mr. Lambert, and another which became entangled
in a fisherman’s net, whilst it was spread for drying, at Ormsby in Norfolk. The native locality, however,
o f this beautiful species appears to be along the western confines o f Asia, extending into Turkey, the Islands
o f the Archipelago, and Italy, where it inhabits the banks o f stagnant waters, morasses, the sides o f rivers,
and the low lands on the sea shore; it also visits some parts o f Germany, Switzerland and France, but has
never we believe been known to extend its migrations to the more northern regions o f Europe.
The total length o f the present species is about sixteen inches. The top o f the head is ornamented with
yellowish feathers having marginal stripes o f brown; these feathers become much more elongated at the
occiput, whence spring seven dr eight long slender flowing plumes o f a yellowish white edged with black;
throat white; neck, back, and the long filamentous feathers which rise from it, o f a tawny yellow; these
feathers, however, sometimes assume a vinous tinge ; beak azure-blue at the base, passing through greenish
white, to its tip which is black; the naked skin around the eyes and the feet o f a greenish olive; irides
fine light yellow.
The adult males and females differ but little.
In the young, the upper parts o f the body and the scapulars are tinged with brown more or less decided;
the beak and legs are not so brilliant in their colouring, but more inclined to a dull yellowish olive; nor do
they assume the long occipital plumes or the lengthened feathers which ornament the head and back o f old
birds in their perfect livery, until they are more than two years old.
According to M . Temminck the nest is built in trees; but nothing is known respecting the colour or number
o f its eggs.
It subsists on small fish, frogs, marine insects, and mollusca.
We have figured a male in its full plumage, somewhat less than the natural size.