174 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



NYCTICORAX GRISEUS (Linnmus). 

 NIGHT-HERON. 



Ardea grisea, Linn. Stjst. Nat. i, p. 239 (1766). 

 Nycticorax grisea, Selys-Longch. Faxui. Beige, p. 134 (1812). 

 Nycticorax griseus, Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 143 (1867) ; Koenig, 



J. f. 0. 1888, p. 275 ; id. J. f. 0. 1893, p. 88 ; Whital-er, Ibis, 1895, 



p. 104. 

 Nycticorax nycticorax, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvi, p. 146 ; 



Erlangcr, J. f. O. 1900, p. 39. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from North Tunisia. 



Forehead, superciliary stripes and some long nuchal plumes white ; 

 crown, nape, back and scapulars glossy blackish-green ; sides of the head 

 and hind neck light dove-grey ; entire upper-wing and tail dove-grey ; entire 

 underparts white, \\-\\\\ a slight grey tinge on the neck and sides of the body. 



Iris deep red ; bill black at the tip and greenish-yellow at the base ; feet 

 yellow, claws black. 



Total length 22 inches, wing 12, culmen 3, tarsus 3. 



Adult female similar to the male. 



In winter the long occipital plumes are wanting. 



The young bird is brownish above, with the crown and neck striped, the 

 back and wings ash-brown, with large triangular whitish-buff spots, tail ash- 

 brown, tipped with white, underparts white, slightly streaked with brown. 



The Night-Heron is abundant in Tunisia, and according to Blanc, 

 is resident there throughout the year, although more plentiful during 

 the periods of migration than at other seasons. It occurs in all 

 suitable localities in the North of the Regency, as well as in the oases 

 of the South, such as those of Gafsa, Tozer and Nefta, where the 

 species presumably breeds, having been met with at the end of May. 



In Algeria and Marocco the Night-Heron appears to be common ; 

 Canon Tristram met with it in the far south of the Algerian Sahara 

 at Tuggurt, and believes that it is probably found throughout the 

 whole of the Wed R'hir. 



The species appears to have a very wide range in the Old World, 

 occurring throughout Central and Southern Europe (occasionally 

 straying to the North of that Continent), a considerable portion of 

 Asia, and probably the whole of Africa. In China, where the bird 

 is considered sacred, and is consequently unmolested, the species is 

 very plentiful, and breeds in large colonies. INIr. Swinhoe gives an 



