BIRDS OF NEW YORK 265 



in length ; bill black ; lores greenish ; legs yellow ; eyes red. Young: Grayish 

 brown above streaked and spotted with tear-shaped spots of buffy white; 

 under parts grayish white streaked with dusky ; bill dusky ; legs dull grayish 

 green; iris grayish brown. 



Length 23-26 inches; extent 43-46; wing 11-13; tail 5; bill 3; tarsus 

 3-3.4; middle toe and claw 2.8-3.1 ; tibia bare i. 



Both species of Night heron are of medium size, about that of the com- 

 mon bittern; but shaped quite differently from the other herons. Their 

 bodies are stouter and the neck and legs comparatively short. Their bills 

 are also shorter and stouter than those of the other herons. The present 

 species is the one common in New York State and can easily be distinguished 

 from the Yellow-crowned species when in the adult plumage, but careful 

 attention must be given to immature specimens to determine them accurately. 

 The common Night heron is well known in the vicinity of its rookeries by 

 its nocturnal habits and the hoarse cry which has given it the common 

 name of Quawk. 



The Quawk is a common summer resident on Long Island and in the 

 Hudson-Champlain valley as far north as Washington county, but is quite local 

 in distribution, being confined to the vicinity of a few large heronries during 

 the breeding season. The most famous of these heronries have been located 

 in Nassau county; on Gardiners island; on Constitution island, Hudson river; 

 and near Dunsbach Ferry, Saratoga co. Less important breeding stations 

 have existed in recent years near Granville, Washington co. ; at West Seneca 

 and Boston, Erie co. ; and various localities on Long Island and the Hudson 

 river. It is a regular transient visitant on the central lakes and along 

 Lakes Erie and Ontario, young birds being not uncommon about the last 

 of September, but whether these come from heronries located in the Ontario - 

 St Lawrence valley, or are wanderers from southern localities, I am unable 

 to state. This bird often remains throughout the winter on Long Island, 

 but the usual winter range is from Virginia southward. It inhabits the 

 greater part of America from Argentina to Manitoba and New Brunswick. 



