THE BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. 



HAT a beautiful creature 

 this is ! A mounted spec- 

 imen requires, like the 

 Snowy Owl, the greatest 

 care and a dust tight glass case to pre- 

 serve its beauty. Dr. Coues' account 

 of it should be read by those who are 

 interested in the science of ornithology. 

 It is a common bird in the United 

 States and British Provinces, being 

 migratory and resident in the south. 

 Heronries, sometimes of vast extent, to 

 which they return year after year, are 

 their breeding places. Each nest con- 

 tains three or four eggs of a pale, sea- 

 green color. Observe the peculiar 

 plumes, sometimes two, in this case 

 three, which spring from the back of 

 the head. These usually lie close 

 together in one bundle, but are often 

 blown apart by the wind in the form 

 of streamers. This Heron derives its 

 name from its habits, as it is usually 

 seen flying at night, or in the early 

 evening, when it utters a sonorous cry 

 of quaw or quawk. It is often called 

 Quawk or Qua-Bird. 



On the return of the Black-Crowned 

 Night Heron in April, he promptly 

 takes possession of his former home, 

 which is likely to be the most solitary 

 and deeply shaded part of a cedar 

 swamp. Groves of swamp oak in 

 retired and water covered places, are 

 also sometimes chosen, and the males 

 often select tall trees on the bank of 

 the river to roost upon during the day. 

 About the beginning of twilight they 

 direct their flight toward the marshes, 

 uttering in a hoarse and hollow tone, 

 the sound qua. At this hour all the 

 nurseries in the swamps are emptied 

 of their occupants, who disperse about 

 the marshes along the ditches and 

 river shore in search of food. Some 

 of these nesting places have been 

 occupied every spring and summer for 



many years by nearly a hundred pair 

 of Herons. In places where the cedars 

 have been cut down and removed the 

 Herons merely move to another part 

 of the swamp, not seeming greatly dis- 

 tnrbed thereby; but when attacked and 

 plundered they have been known to 

 remove from an ancient home in a 

 body to some unknown place. 



The Heron's nest is plain enough, 

 being built of sticks. On entering 

 the swamp in the neighborhood of one 

 of the heronries the noise of the old 

 and young birds equals that made by 

 a band of Indians in conflict. The 

 instant an intruder is discovered, the 

 entire flock silently rises in the air 

 and removes to the tops of the trees in 

 another part of the woods, while sen- 

 tries of eight or ten birds make occas- 

 ional circuits of inspection. 



The young Herons climb to the tops 

 of the highest trees, but do not attempt 

 to fly. While it is probable these 

 birds do not see well by day, they 

 possess an exquisite faculty of hear- 

 ing, which renders it almost impossi- 

 ble to approach their nesting places 

 without discovery. Hawks hover over 

 the nests, making an occasional sweep 

 among the young, and the Bald Eagle 

 has been seen to cast a hungry eye 

 upon them. 



The male and female can hardly be 

 distinguished. Both have the plumes, 

 but there is a slight difference in size. 



The food of the Night Heron, or 

 Qua-Bird, is chiefly fish, and his two 

 interesting traits are tireless watchful- 

 ness and great appetite. He digests 

 his food with such rapidity that how- 

 ever much he may eat, he is always 

 ready to eat again ; hence he is little 

 benefited by what he does eat, and is 

 ever in appearance in the same half- 

 starved state, whether food is abundant 

 or scarce. 



