202 THE NESTS AND EGGS OF 



species breeding in the Nearctic region, but cannot be 

 distinguished from those of the Pala^arctic or Common 

 Bittern. The locality of the eggs is sufficient therefore 

 to determine their species. 



Family ARDEID^. Genus Nycticorax. 



NIGHT HERON. 



Nycticorax griseus {Li7inceus). 



(British : Rare abnormal spring and autumn migrant.) 



Single Brooded. Laying season in Europe, end of April and 

 in May and June. 



Breeding area : Southern and western Pal?earctic 

 region, Nearctic region, Ethiopian region, Oriental 

 region, and northern Neotropical region. The Night 

 Heron may yet breed sparingly in Germany and 

 Holland, but most of its old nesting places are de- 

 serted. It still however breeds in Southern France, the 

 Spanish peninsula, Northern Italy, Sardinia, the valley 

 of the Danube, South-eastern Austria, Southern Russia, 

 and the Caucasus. It also breeds in Armenia, Asia 

 Minor, Palestine, Persia, Western Turkestan, Mongolia, 

 China, and the south island of Japan ; the Burma penin- 

 sula, Ceylon, and India. South of the Mediterranean it 

 breeds throughout Africa in suitable districts down to 

 the Cape Colony. In the New World it breeds over the 

 United States and the extreme south of Canada, and as 

 far south as Mexico, Central America, and Brazil. 



Breeding habits: The Night Heron is only a 

 summer visitor to Europe, reaching its breeding grounds 



