ARDEIN^. ARDEA. 127 



220. NYCTERODIUS NYCTICORAX. GREY NIGHT-HERON. 



Adult with three white, black-tipped, linear, occipital fea- 

 thers ; the crown and nape, with the fore part of the back and 

 the scapulars, greenish-black ; the wings and tail bluish-grey ; 

 the lower parts white. Young without elongated occipital 

 plumes ; upper part of the head and nape, with the fore part 

 of the back and the scapulars, dull brown, with pale red lon- 

 gitudinal streaks ; wing-coverts greyish-brown, with yellow- 

 ish-white spots ; throat and lower parts whitish, tinged with 

 grey, and streaked with brown. 



Male, 21, . . , 12, 2if, 2^, 2 T V, T V 



All the species of this family feed occasionally, if not habi- 

 tually, by night, and, although the present has been distin- 

 guished in this respect from the rest, it is no more a noctur- 

 nal prowler than the Bittern or the common Heron. It fre- 

 quents the margins of lakes, pools, and rivers, preferring 

 those which are plentifully furnished with reeds, sedges, and 

 other aquatic plants. It feeds on reptiles, fishes, mollusca, 

 and worms. Although it is of very rare occurrence in this 

 country, its distribution is very extensive, it being common 

 in many parts of America, as well as in Europe, Asia, and 

 Africa. 



Ardea Nycticorax, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 235. Ardea Nycti- 

 corax, Lath. Ind. Ornith. ii. 678. Ardea Nycticorax, Temm. 

 Man. d'Ornith. ii. 577. Ardea Nycticorax, Grey Night-He- 

 ron, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, iv. 



GENUS CXV. ARDEA. HERON. 



The Herons, properly so called, are among the larger and 

 more robust species of the family to which they give name. 

 Their body is moderately large, but much compressed ; the 

 neck very long, and of considerable thickness ; the head ob- 

 long and much compressed. Bill longer than the head, 

 stout, straight, compressed, tapering to a point ; upper man- 

 dible with the dorsal line almost straight, the ridge broad 

 and convex at the base, gradually narrowed to the point, 

 the nasal depression narrow, oblong, with a groove extend- 

 ing from it to near the end, the sides convex, the edges 

 sharp, serrulate, with a notch close to the tip, which is very 

 acute ; lower mandible with the angle very long and ex- 



