NIGHT-HERON 



2!;i 



Old World, exclusive of Australasia, and America as far south as 

 Colombia and Ecuador. England, Ireland, and Scotland can alike 

 claim numerous visits of this handsome little heron, which is, however, 

 most commonly seen in the southern counties. In Devon alone no 

 fewer than eight specimens are stated to have been killed in the summer 

 of 1849. 



With its green-glossed crown and back, long and drooping white 

 head-crest, ash-grey neck, wings, and tail, white under-parts, crimson 



MOUNTED IN THE ROWLAND 



.NIGHT-HEKON'S. 



eye, and a beak of which the upper half is black and the lower half of 

 the same leaden hue as the bare skin below the eyes, the adult night-heron 

 is a really handsome bird, whose colours harmonise to perfection with 

 its natural surroundings. Both sexes agree in size, having a total 

 length of 23 inches ; but the hen is duller in colour, with shorter 

 head-plumes. In young birds the colour of the upper-parts is clove- 

 brown marked by paler spots and streaks, the under-parts are striped 

 with white, buff, and brown, the eye is brown, and there is no crest to 

 the head. In the nestling the bare skin is sea-green, the down purplish 

 grey, tipped on the crown with white, and paler on the under-parts 

 than above. 



The present species derives its name from the habit of feeding at 



