NIGHT-HERON. 197 



South Sweden, and Denmark ; but even on the southern ' 

 shores of the Baltic it is of rare occurrence. Of late years 

 it has gradually receded from its breeding-places in the 

 northern districts of Germany and Holland ; and in the 

 greater part of France it is principally known on migration, 

 although it breeds sparingly in the south. In the Spanish 

 Peninsula it nests in suitable localities, as well as in the 

 marshes of Italy. In the island of Sardinia it is resident 

 throughout the year ; and it visits the entire coast and 

 islands of the Mediterranean on passage. It breeds in con- 

 siderable numbers in the valley of the Danube ; and east- 

 wards it ranges throughout temperate Asia as far as Japan ; 

 being resident in India, Burmah, and China ; and occurring in 

 the Philippines and the islands of the Eastern Archipelago. 

 Its distribution extends over the whole of Africa and the 

 neighbouring islands. The bird may in fact be described as 

 cosmopolitan ; for in America, from the Fur Countries down 

 to Chili and the Falkland Islands — including most of the 

 West Indian Islands and Bermuda — is found a form which 

 offers no differences in plumage, but which is on the aver- 

 age slightly larger in size ; and in South America the 

 latter developes into a darker race, known by the name of 

 N. obscurus. Both forms occur in the Sandwich Islands. 

 In the Malayo- Australian region our bird is represented by 

 N. calcdonicus, which has the mantle, scapulars, wings, and 

 tail fine cinnamon-colour. 



The nests of the Night-Heron are generally placed in 

 bushes or pollards, in the neighbourhood of swamps ; but 

 in places where the birds are protected, they select groves 

 of trees, as, for instance, round the great Honam Temple at 

 Canton, where the birds are held sacred. Swinhoe describes 

 the nests as placed thickly in some venerable banyans ; the 

 granite slabs that form the pavement beneath the trees being 

 bedaubed with the droppings of old and young, while from 

 the nests arose the chattering cry of the callow broods, for 

 which the parent birds were catering the whole day long, 

 becoming more active at sunset. As darkness set in the 

 noise and hubbub from the trees rose to a fearful pitch 



