g62 A'ESTS AND EGGS OF ArSTRALlAN BIRDS. 



713. — Nycticorax caledonkus, Gmclin. — (557) 

 NIGHT HERON. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, £ol., vol. vi., pi. 63. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxvi., p. 158. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould: Birds of Australia (184S), 



also Handbook, vol. ii., p. 312 {1865) ; Ramsay : I'roc. Linn. 



Soc, N.S. Wales, vol. vii., p. 55 (1885); North; Austn. Mus. 



Cat., p. 320, pi. 18, fig. 1 {1889). 



Geographical Distribution. — Whole of Australia and Tasmania; 

 also New Zealand (occasional), New Guinea (including Admii-alty 

 Islands), Celebes, and north to Pelew Islands. 



Nest. — A loosely constructed platfonn of sticks, placed in a heronry, 

 in trees standing in water ; but frequently a solitary nest may be f oimd 

 in a tree usually overhanging a stream. 



Eggs. — Clutch, f ovu- ; elliptical in shape; textvu'e of shell somewhat 

 coarse ; surface slightly glossj' ; colour, Ught bluish green. Dimensions 

 in inches of typical eggs: (1) 2-03 x 1-4, (2) 2-0 x 1-39; of a pair of 

 roxmder-sized examples ; (1) 1-94 x 1-5, (2) 1-92 x 1-53. (Plate 26.) 



Observations. — The Night Heron is foimd tlu-oughout Australia and 

 Tasmania, with the extremes of its range from New Zealand in the 

 south to the Pelew Islands in the north, and a.s its name implies, is 

 strictly nocturnal in its habits, resting asleep, or half asleep, in tall trees 

 diuing the day. At night, for food, it perambulates the swamps and 

 creeks in favoured localities, where its hoarse croaking may be often 

 heard. 



When young, the plumage is buff or dark-brown, and is remai-kable 

 for its blotched or spotted appearance ; but when mature, both sexes are 

 dressed in a handsome coat of cinnamon-brown, with the luidcr surface 

 wliite, the crown of the head being black, from which grow two' narrow, 

 white, occipital pliunes. Orange-coloured eyes, somewhat short dark 

 bill, and light-yellow legs complete the bird's general description. Its 

 total length is about 20 inches. 



I never succeeded in discovering the nest of the Nankeen or Night 

 Heron. The specimens of eggs I liave described were received from 

 the collection of the late Mr. George Barnard, and were taken from a 

 heronry on the well-known Gracemcre Estate, near Rockliamptoii, 

 Quoenisland. 



On Campbell Island, River Murray, there used to be a licroniy 

 where the Nankeen Herons have been observed breeding in numbers 

 in company with the ,Pacific Herons and Egi-ets, during September and 

 October, in flood time. 



Overhanging a creekj about seven miles from Melbourne, it is stated 

 that a solitary nest and eggs of this nocturnal species were taken not 

 many seasons ago. In by-gone days (he trees in (he Botanical 



