THE NIGHT-HERON. 259 



Length 28 inches, tail 4'5, wing 12' 5, tarsus 3'8, bill from gape 3'8. 

 The female is rather smaller. 



The Common European Bittern is apparently a rare bird in Burmah. 

 Captain Jenkins shot two at Zeinganein, near Pegu, on the 2nd of Decem- 

 ber, and sent them to me the same day. I have heard of no other instance 

 of its occurrence in Burmah. Captain Jenkins shot these two birds in 

 thick paddy growing on the edge of an extensive swamp, and he observed 

 others at the same time. 



It is met with over the greater part of Europe, Africa and Asia, China 

 and Burmah being about its eastern limit in the latter continent. 



This Bittern is a nocturnal bird, lying hidden in dense vegetation during 

 the day; its note is a loud croak, but during the breeding-season it 

 utters a very peculiar booming sound. In Europe its nest is placed on 

 the ground in reed-beds ; and it lays three or four eggs, of a brownish- 

 olive colour. 



Genus NYCTIARDEA, Swains. 



624. NYCTIARDEA NYCTICORAX. 

 THE NIGHT-HERON. 



Ardea nycticorax, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 235. Ardea grisea, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 

 p. 239. Nycticorax griseus, Jerd. B. 2nd. ii. p. 758 ; Salvad. Ucc. Born. 

 p. 356; Hume, S. F. iv. p. 415; Bl. B. Burm. p. 161; Oates, S. F. v. p. 168; 

 Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 1165; Anders. Yunnan Exped. p. 690; Hume 8f Dav. 

 S. F. vi. p. 484 ; Dresser, Birds Eur. vi. p. 269, pi. ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 114 ; 

 Scully t S. F. viii. p. 361 ; Oates, S. F. x. p. 244. Nyctiardea nycticorax, 

 Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 624 ; Hume, S. F. iii. p. 192 ; Armstrong, S. F. iv. 

 p. 350; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 444. 



Description. Adult. Crown, nape, a narrow line down the back of the 

 neck, the back and scapulars black glossed with metallic green ; feathers 

 of the nape lengthened ; a few very long narrow feathers springing from 

 the nape white ; forehead, a streak over the eye, sides of the face, chin and 

 throat white ; lower plumage white tinged with grey or pale vinous ; rump, 

 upper tail-coverts, tail, the whole of the wings and the sides of the neck 

 deep grey with a vinous tinge. 



The young have no crest ; the upper plumage is ashy brown, the quills 

 and the wing-coverts with large whitish spots at the tips ; the other parts 

 more or less centrally streaked with ruf escent white ; the sides of the head 

 and neck and the whole lower plumage pale fulvous, boldly streaked with 

 ashy brown. 



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