610 
EUROPEAN NIGHTHERON. 
Gardenian Heron. Penn. Arct, Zool. 2. 355. young. — hath. 
Gen. Syn. 5. 71- 32. young. 
Night Heron, or Qua Bird. Wills. Amer. Orn. 7* 101. pi. Ixi. 
f.l.f.1. young. 
Chesnut Heron. Lath. Gen. Syn. 5. 73. 37* young. 
Night Heron, or Night Raven. Penn. Arct. Zool. 2. 356. — 
Will. (Ang.) 279 .pl. 49- — Alb. Birds. 2 . pi. 67 . — Lath. Gen. 
Syn. 5. 52. — Lath. Syn. Sup. 234. — Lew. Brit. Birds. 4. pi. 
145. — Wale. Syn. 2. pi. 126 . — Bew. Brit. Birds. 2. 43. — Mont. 
Orn. Diet. 1. — Mont. Orn. Diet. Sup. 
According to the observations of Meijer, several 
of the Lathamian Herons are ascertained to belong' 
to the present species, which puts on a very dis- 
similar appearance at different periods of its life. 
The full grown bird, in its perfect plumage, is 
about twenty-two inches in length : the head, the 
occiput, the back, and the scapulars, are black, 
with hues of green and blue : on the nape are 
situated three long, narrow, white feathers, mea- 
suring about seven inches in length : the lower 
part of the back, the wings, and the tail, are fine 
grey ; the forehead, the eyebrows, the throat, the 
fore-part of the neck, and the under parts of the 
body, are pure white: the beak is black, with its 
base yellowish : the irides are red : the legs are 
greenish yellow. Both sexes are similar. The 
young of the first year are destitute of the three 
narrow feathers on the nape : the top of the head,, 
the nape, the back, and the scapulars, are dull 
brown, with bright red longitudinal stripes on the 
shaft of each feather : the throat is white, slightly 
spotted with brown : the feathers of the sides and 
fore-part of the neck are yellowish, deeply edged 
