NIGHT HERON. 283 



of considerable length, with a deep notch near the tip of the upper 

 mandible, which is dark- horn colour above, with three ridges on 

 each side extending to within half an inch of the tip, which is 

 narrow and acute. A stripe of yellow co-extensive with the 

 ridges, and a parallel stripe of dark-horn colour along the cutting 

 edges, which are remarkably sharp, as are also those of the lower 

 mandible, the latter having the corresponding lines of dark and 

 yellow, and being feathered to within half an inch of the point. 

 Nostril straight, widening a little toward the centre, but the 

 aperture is by no means so large as it is represented in 

 Macgillivray's figure, which, being taken from a dried specimen, 

 shows an exaggeration of the orifice. Head bushy; neck behind 

 with soft flowing feathers; crown of the head dark brown, which 

 is the predominating colour on the whole of the upper parts. The 

 larger feathers streaked on each side of the shafts with reddish 

 white ; the outer feathers on the shoulder of the wing with 

 diagonal streaks of dirty white. Space between the wings 

 without the spots or streaks. The outer web of the first primary 

 margined with white for three-fourths of its length, and tipped 

 with the same colour; the white on the points of the inner 

 primaries increasing to spots of a triangular shape, and on the 

 secondaries to large round spots. The greater wing coverts also 

 terminate in white spots, which form a straight dotted line when 

 the wing is extended, and an angle when it is closed. Lower 

 parts brownish white, streaked with darker. Tail rounded, dark 

 grey, tinged with reddish-brown. Feet, dirty greenish yellow; 

 toes slender, the fourth the largest, connected by a large membrane ; 

 claws bluish, arched, much worn, the middle claw pectinated on 

 the inside. On dissection, the bird proved to be a male. The 

 stomach, which is oblong, contained sand, a quantity of viscous 

 matter, and a perch about six inches long." 



Wilson gives a very graphic account of the breeding habits of 

 this Heron, which is very abundant in some parts of North America. 

 This author states that the birds congregate early in April, taking 

 possession of solitary and deeply shaded groves of swamp oak and 

 cedar, and that the best known nurseries have been occupied from 

 time immemorial by as many as one hundred pairs. The nests 

 are described as being built entirely of sticks, in considerable 

 bulky quantities; the eggs, four in number, are of a very pale 

 blue colour. " On entering the swamp in the neighbourhood of 



