144 THE NATURALIST'S GUIDE. 



208. Ardetta exilis, GRAY. Least Bittern. Very 

 rare in summer. Mr. William Brewster has a specimen in 

 his cabinet, taken on the Fresh Pond marshes in Belmont, 

 August 11, 1868. 



209. Botaums lentiginosus, STEPH. Bittern, 

 "Meadow Hen," "Indian Hen," "Dunkadoo." Common 

 summer residents Breeds, nesting in inaccessible places 

 in swamps and fresh marshes. Arrives early in April; 

 leaves in October. This species is rare on the sea-shore. 



210. Butorides virescens, BON, "Green Heron," 

 " Mud-Hen," " Poke," " Chalk-line." Common summer 

 resident. Breeds, nesting in thickets and thick woods, 

 but more commonly on the sea-shore than in the interior. 



211. Nyctiardea Gardenii, BAIRD. Night Heron, 

 41 Qua-Bird," " Squak," " Gobly-gossit." Common summer 

 resident, breeding abundantly in communities, both on 

 the coast and in the interior. The young, when able to 

 fly, congregate on the sea-shore. Although nocturnal in 

 habit, it sees well by day. Arrives early in April ; leaves 

 in October. 



As substantiating the hypothesis concerning the luminous- 

 ness of the peculiar spot on the breast of this Heron, I give 

 the following, as related to me by Mrs. H. B. Farley, of 

 Ipswich. I may state that Mrs. Farley, until after she had 

 related the story, had no knowledge of any particular in- 

 terest being attached to the fact she had discovered ; for 

 this reason she was an unbiased observer, which gives the 

 discovery additional importance, 



" Three or four years ago I was sitting on the banks of 

 Ipswich River, just at twilight, waiting for my brother to 

 come for me in a boat to convey me home. I was keeping 

 very quiet, when I saw a Heron alight within a few feet 

 of me, on the edge of the water. He was joined by others, 

 until there were about a dozen, then I observed that every 

 one of them had a luminous spot on its breast. This 



