SQUAGCO HERON.
ARDEA RALLOIDES, Scop.
Ardea ralloides, Scop. Ann. I. Hist. Nat. p. 88, no. 121
(1769); Yarr. ed. 4, iv. p. 191; Dresser, vi. p. 251.
Ardea comata, Naum. ix. p. 120, xiii. p. 258.
Botaurus comatus, Macg. iv. p. 428.
Heron crabler, French; Schopf-Reiher, German; Garza
cangrejera, Spanish; Or oval, Yalencian.
This very beautiful species is only an occasional
straggler to the British Islands, some forty or more
records of its appearance therein having appeared at
the time of the publication of the article relating to it in
‘ Yarrell,’ 4th ed. pt. 26, December 1884. Most of
these occurrences took place during the months of
May, June, and JulyT and the majority of the birds
captured were in immature plumage. I first made the
acquaintance of this species on the shores of the Lake of
Geneva in May 1851, when a few appeared in the
neighbourhood of Lausanne; but it was not till the
month of March 1857 that I ever met with the Squacco
Heron in any considerable number. About the end