SKETCHES OK EUROPEAN ORNITHOLOGY. 271 



the necessity of minor subdivisions of large families than the com- 

 mon Night Heron. The genus Nycticorax is now, we believe, 

 universally acknowledged. Seven species at least are known to us,' 

 most of which are inhabitants of remote and distant regions : one 

 being found at Terra del Fuego, another in New South Wales, and 

 a new one having lately been discovered in Manilla. The common 

 Night Heron is the only species found in Europe, over the whole of 

 which it is dispersed ; as also over the whole of Asia and the north- 

 ern regions of Africa ; and if not identical, the Night Heron of 

 North America bears so great resemblance to the European bird, as 

 to require an experienced eye to detect the difference. The Ameri- 

 can birds are, however, we believe, larger in all their proportions." 

 The Prince of Musignano has distinguished the American Night 

 Heron under the specific title of Nyct. Americanus. The young 

 birds differ from the adult not only in their colour, which is brown 

 varied with dashes of whitish yellow and white, but also in the 

 absence of the beautiful pendent plumes from the occiput, which 

 form so conspicuous an ornament in the adult. In the intermediate 

 stage it has been regarded as a distinct species, under the name of 

 the Gardenian Heron. 



Spotted Crake, Zapornia porzana— Crex porzana, Bechst.— 

 Poule d'eau marouette, Fr.— Punktiertes rohrhuhn, G.— Gallinel 

 la aquatica sutro, It. In form, this pretty bird, of which the plate 

 gives a good representation, is closely allied to our common Corn 

 Crake (Crex pratensisj. It is one of our summer visitors, arriving 

 early and departing late. Pools, rivulets, and marshv places over! 

 grown with reeds, are its favourite haunts, and it swims with great 

 facility. In these points it differs from the Corn Crake, which fre- 

 quents the rich meadows, threading the tall grass, which serves it as 

 a cover, with great rapidity. The Spotted Crake is abundant in 

 Asia and the north-eastern parts of Europe, The genus Zapornia 

 was founded by Dr. Leach, for the reception of two species, Zap 

 Pusilla and Zap. Baillonii ; and Mr. Gould refers the Spotted Crake 

 to this genus rather than to the Crex, of which the Corn Crake is 

 the type. It builds a floating nest, composed of stalks of plants 

 rudely intertwined and attached to the stems of reeds, or placed 

 upon a collection of them by the water's brink. 



Meadow Pipit, Anthus Pratensis, Bechst.— Pipit Farlouse Fr — 



Wiesen pieper, G.-Le Cujelier, Buff. PI. enl. This interesting 



little bird is beautifully represented. It is the Tit-Lark of the older 



iratera, and is too well known to need any particular notice. 



Black-tailed Gannet, Suh meianura, Temm. « We are indebt- 



