ARDEID^. 759 



23 inches ; wing 12^ ; tail 3| ; bill at front 2^^ ; tarsus 3 ; middle 

 toe and claw 3^'^. 



The young bird wants the occipital plumes ; the upper plumage 

 is brownish ashy, with whitish spots ; and the lower plumage 

 whitish with brown streaks. 



The Night-heron is found throughout India, is very common in 

 many parts of the country, but is somewhat local in its distribution. 

 During the day it roosts in Palm groves, Tamarind trees, and 

 patches of jungle near water, issuing forth soon after sunset, and 

 winging its way towards its feeding grounds, uttering at intervals 

 its well known cry, wak-ioak, which has been given as its name 

 throughout the greater part of India. It breeds on Palms, Tama- 

 rind or other trees, in society, making a nest of sticks, and laying 

 usually four pale bluish-green eggs. 



The Night-heron is somewhat rare in England, but is found 

 throughout most parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa. In the 

 latter country, it is. said sometimes to breed on the ground in 

 swamps, among the matted roots of reeds. Swinhoe states that it is 

 the sacred bird of the Great Temple in Canton ; that he observed 

 that the eggs were hatched at different periods ; and that whilst it 

 had young, il fed them all the day long. I have never, to my 

 knowledge, seen the Night-heron abroad during the day. 



Various other Night-herons are found in different parts of the 

 world, viz., JSf. Gardeni of America, (if really distinct from the 

 European bird) ; N. obscurus, Licht., from Chili and the Malouine 

 Islands ; and N. violacea, L., from the West Indies and South 

 America, made the type of the genus Nyctherodms, Eeich. 



One group has the upper plumage chesnut, thus approximating 

 the Bitterns and Ardetta, viz. N. caledonicus, Gmelin; N. 7nanillensis, 

 Vigors ; and N. crassirostris, Vigors, from Manilla and the Borneo 

 Islands. 



That curious bird the Boat-bill of South America, Cancroma 

 cochlearia, with a large, broad, convex bill, is essentially a Heron ; 

 and the lately discovered Whale-hill of Africa, Balceniceps rex, 

 Gould, is undoubtedly another nearly related form, as shown, 

 among other points of similitude, by the peculiar powder-tufts 

 seated on different parts of the body : the middle toe, however, ia 



