Distribution. — British  Isles. — Rare  vagrant.  Over  fifty,  chiefly
east  coast  England  south  of  Wash,  more  rarely  south  coast,  and  very
rarely  elsewhere.  In  Scotland  there  seem  only  two  authentic  (East
Lothian,  Oct.,  1892  ;  Caithness,  Sept.,  1907).  In  Ireland  only  one
(Monaghan,  prior  to  1834).
Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds  locally  from  Holland,  France,
Austria,  Hungary,  south  Russia  to  north  Africa  ;  more  or  less
migratory  in  Europe,  but  resident  and  winter-visitor  in  many  parts
of  tropical  and  south  Africa,  extending  eastwards  to  Persian  GuH
and  west  central  Asia.  Replaced  by  another  form  in  India,  China,
and  Malayan  Archipelago.
EGRETTA   ALBA

262.     Egretta  alba  alba  (L.)— THE    GREAT  WHITE  HERON.
Ardea  alba  Linnaeus,  Syst.  Xat.,  ed.  x,  i,  p.  144  (1758 — Eiu-ope.     Re-
stricted typical  locality  :    Sweden).
Ardea  alba  Linnaeus,  Yarrell,  iv,  p.  177  ;    Saunders,  p.  371.
Distribution. — Great  Britain. — Very  rare  vagrant.  About  seven
authentic — three  Yorks.,  one  Cambs.,  one  Notts.,  one  East  Lothian,
one  Perth,  (c/.  Saunders,  p.  371,  and  Brit.  B.,  i,  p.  347).
Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds  (formerly  in  great  numbers)  in
parts  of  south-east  Europe,  in  the  plains  of  the  Danube  and  north
to  south  Russia,  at  least  once  (1863)  in  Silesia.  Seems  also  to  breed
eastwards  as  far  as  east  Asia.  Northern  birds  are  migrants.  The
distribution  and  description  of  allied  races  are  as  yet  imperfectly
known,  but  it  seems  that  the  birds  from  tropical  and  south  Africa,
as  well  as  those  from  India,  east  Asia  and  the  Malayan  Archipelago
to  Australia,  are  separable,  and  the  large  American  Egret  might  also
be  looked  upon  as  a  representative  of  E.  a  Iba  alba.
124  A  HAXD-LIST    OF   BRITISH   BIRDS.
EGRETTA  GARZETTA

263.  Egretta  garzetta  garzetta  (L.)— THE  LITTLE  EGRET.
