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tation of the swamps or streams, from 

 which it can be readily flushed, especi- 

 ally late in the afternoons. 



BLACK-CEOWNED NIGHT 

 HEEON. 



NYCTICORAX NYCTICORAX (l). 

 [Nycticorax griseus (L).] 



Descrix)tion. — Length 22 inches. 



Bill very heavy and arched, black 

 inclining to yellowish at the base. 

 Legs pale yellowish green. Iris deep 

 reddish orange. Crown, back, and 

 scapulars glossy greenish black. Fore- 

 head, sides of head, and under parts 

 whitish. Lower back, wings, and 

 tail ashy grey. Two or three long 

 white plumes forming a crest. The 

 young birds are quite different in 

 plumage from the adults. They are 

 " greyish brown, streaked and spotted 

 yellowish white over the whole body, 

 slightly lighter below." 



Distributio7i. — Cosmopolitan. It is a 

 resident in the Yangtse Valley. 



Nests and Eggs. — These night 

 herons nest in colonies in trees, a 

 number of the nests, built close to- 

 gether, may be found in one tree. The 

 nest itself is little more than a rough 

 platform of loosely piled twigs. The 

 eggs are a uniform pale, dull-blue, and 

 there are usually from four to six in a 

 clutch. A large colony of these birds 

 has been nesting in the South-east 

 corner of the city of Soochow for quite 

 a number of years and they regularly 

 return to the same place each year if 

 they are not disturbed. First the 

 heronry was located in the tall 

 trees inside of a large high-walled 



