NIGHT-HERON. 497 
been found in most parts of England, three or four times in Scotland, 
and as many times in Ireland. These occurrences have been chiefly in 
spring, but there does not seem to be any evidence that this bird has ever 
bred in our islands. 
The Night-Heron, subject to some slight variation in size, is found both 
in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. To the countries north of the 
Baltic it is a very rare straggler, having occurred once on the Faroe 
Islands and once in Sweden. At the present time it can only be regarded 
as a straggler to Holland and North Germany, its old breeding-colonies 
in both these countries having been destroyed. It is still a regular summer 
visitor to the Spanish peninsula, the south of France, North Italy, the 
valley of the Danube, Transylvania, South Russia, and the Caucasus. It 
breeds in all suitable localities throughout Africa down to the Cape 
Colony, in Palestine, Asia Minor, Persia, West Turkestan, throughout 
India and Ceylon, the Burma peninsula, China, and South Japan, and has 
been found in many of the islands of the Malay Archipelago. On the 
continent of America it is found throughout the United States, extending 
northwards as far as New Brunswick, and southwards into Mexico, Central 
America, and Brazil. 
The Night-Heron has several near allies. In the southern portion of 
South America it is represented by N. obscurus, in which the grey portion 
of the plumage is darker and browner. Other more distantly allied species 
(NV. caledonius, trom Australia, and N. manillensis, from the Malay Archi- 
pelago) are distinguished by their chestnut-brown backs. 
The Night-Heron is not found in Europe during winter; it arrives in 
Spain and Greece during April, but does not reach its breeding-grounds 
in the valley of the Danube until May. It is said to be more nocturnal 
in its habits than its allies, but I did not find it so during the breeding- 
season. On the marshes near the great colonies, where it nests with the 
Little Egret and Squacco Heron, all three species were seen feeding at all 
hours of the day; but most writers on the subject agree that when the 
breeding-season is over, the Night-Heron is less active during the day, and 
feeds principally in early morning and late evening. From the nature of 
its food it is essentially a swamp-bird, and is found most commonly in 
marshes surrounded with trees, in which it roosts at night or perches 
during the daytime. 
During flight the broad wings and comparatively short legs of the 
Night-Heron cause it to resemble more the Squacco Heron than the Little 
Egret ; but like both these birds it flies with a steady flapping of the wings, 
its head almost between its shoulders, and its legs stretched out in the 
same line as the beak. Its flight is very noiseless, but well sustained. It 
seems to be quite at home on the thick branches of a tree, and even clings 
with ease to the almost perpendicular, slender twigs of the pollard willows, 
VOL. II. 2K 
