368 NIGHT-HERON. 



Although a visitor to the Faroes, South Sweden and Denmark, 

 the Night-Heron is rare even on the southern side of the Baltic, and 

 of late years has gradually been driven from many of its nesting- 

 places in the northern portions of Germany and Holland • while in 

 France it is chiefly known on migration, though it breeds sparingly 

 in the south. It nests in the Spanish Peninsula, and on the mainland 

 of Italy — which it leaves in autumn, though resident in Sardinia ; on 

 passage it visits the coasts and other islands of the Mediterranean. 

 Large colonies are found on the Danube, and throughout the 

 districts of the Black and Caspian Seas. Eastward, it is dis- 

 tributed throughout temperate and southern Asia, as well as over 

 the whole of Africa ; in fact it is almost cosmopolitan, inasmuch 

 as slightly varying forms inhabit America, from the Fur Countries 

 down to ih6 Falkland Islands. In the Malayo-Australian region, 

 however, we find a distinct species, iV. caledoniais, which has the 

 upper parts of a bright cinnamon-colour. 



The Night-Heron breeds in colonies, usually building a nest of 

 small sticks radiating from the centre, on trees or bushes in swamps : 

 but in China, where it is held sacred, large groves are selected, and 

 Swinhoe has described a vast assemblage round the great Honam 

 Temple at Canton, where the nests are placed thickly in some 

 venerable banyans. In some parts reeds are chosen, and in the 

 swamps of Lake Michigan dead rice-stalks are built up into a 

 structure so solid that a man could stand on them without doing 

 any perceptible injury. The eggs, from 3-5 in number, are pale 

 greenish-blue : average measurements 2 by i "4 in. Judging from 

 Swinhoe's experience, the bird commences sitting at once, and there 

 is an interval of two days between the laying of each egg. In Europe 

 incubation takes place in May. The food consists of water-insects 

 and their larvae, worms, snails, small fish and frogs. The note is a 

 mournful qua-a, seldom uttered in the daytime, though after dark 

 the birds are very noisy. 



The adult male has the crown, nape, and middle of the back 

 greenish-black ; neck, wings and tail grey ; under parts greyish- 

 white ; a crest of from three to ten long white feathers ; bill blackish 

 above, lower mandible and lores lead-colour ; iris brick-red ; legs 

 and feet yellow. Length about 23 in.; wing 12 in. The female is 

 duller in colour and has shorter plumes. The young bird has the 

 upper plumage umber-brown, with paler streaks and white spots ; 

 under parts striped with white, buff, and brown ; no crest. Young 

 males are capable of reproduction while still in immature plumage. 



