NYCTICOEAX GELSEUS. 1167 



south of France, though it occurs only on passage in the north. To the British Islands it is a rare straggler, 

 having occurred chiefly in the southern and eastern counties as far north as Northumberland and Durham, 

 while in Scotland it has been met with as far north as Aberdeen. It has been shot in Angleseaand Flintshire, 

 and has been met with occasionally in Ireland, once in the county of Donegal. It has also occurred in the 

 Faroes and in Sweden, but not in Norway ; in Denmark it is very rare. In Central Eussia it is also scarce, 

 but common in the south and even on the Lower Volga. Turning now towards Spain and thence to Africa, 

 we find it common in the southern portion of the first-named, breeding in the marshes of the Cotos, and 

 passing north through Andalucia in April. It appears to pass by Portugal in its migration, as it is not common 

 in that country. In Morocco it is chiefly seen on passage, being common there near Tangier. Canon Tristram 

 met with it in Algeria and Tunis, and in Egypt it is abundant. In January, February, and March, Von 

 Heuglin met with it on the Blue and White Nile, and at the Tana Lake in Abyssinia, where he also saw it 

 on the river Eeb in May. It extends to South Africa, having been obtained in the Zambesi country, in the 

 Transvaal, and in Natal, and is generally found throughout Cape Colony. In Damara Land it is rare, according 

 to Mr. Andersson ; but in the lake-country it is pretty common, occurring in Ondonga in the wet season, and 

 also on the Orange river. Further north it has been obtained in Benguela and Gaboon, on the Gold Coast, in 

 Fantee, Senegambia, and Bissao. Vernon Harcourt records it from Madeira; but it does not appear to have 

 been met with there of late years. 



On the continent of America it has a wide easterly range, extending from New Brunswick through the 

 States to Texas and Central America, in the former of which Mr. Dresser found it common. In South America 

 it ranges, according to Von Frantzius, from Guiana to the Argentine Provinces, being rare in Costa Eica. 

 It is likewise found in some of the islands in the West Indies, being resident in Cuba. 



Habits. — This curious bird is almost entirely nocturnal in its habits ; but I believe it feeds chiefly at dusk 

 and in the early morning. It is seldom seen about in the daytime ; but occasionally it happens, for some reason 

 or other, that it makes diurnal excursions. Mr. Ball writes, " On a very hot day in April, when in the district 

 of Singbhum, I saw a large number of them in the bed of a river standing by the water's edge, and perched about 

 on neighbouring bushes." My own experience in Ceylon is that when aroused by the report of a gun, a whole 

 flock will dash out of the umbrageous trees in which they have been hiding, and circle round and round in the 

 air, some turning right away and taking a long flight across country. It frequents secluded portions of 

 lakes and tanks, where there are reed-beds surrounded by bushy trees, in which it roosts by day, as many 

 as thirty or forty sometimes occupying the same tree. In the forest-districts it resorts to village tanks 

 surrounded by thick jungle growing close to the water's edge ; and when a colony has taken up its abode in any 

 place its members dwell permanently there, breeding close at hand, or perhaps on the very spot. At sunset 

 they sally out, flying with slow noiseless owl-like flaps, and frequently uttering their quick hoarse quak at 

 intervals of some little duration ; and this call is often heard as night closes in, when the bird cannot be seen. 

 When perched, the Night-Heron draws the neck in, the bill projecting from close to the shoulders, and the 

 body upright, imparting an ungainly appearance to the bird ; if disturbed, it makes its way quickly through 

 the tree, adroitly climbing from branch to branch, and flying off quietly on the other side. Mr. Dresser has 

 noticed it climbing about reeds and rush-beds in Texas, " grasping the stems of the water-plants with its long- 

 claws." It has the power of balancing itself in a wonderful manner when walking along a small branch; and 

 Mr. Gurney speaks (Ibis, 1868, p. 257) of one, which was confined in the Zoological Gardens, " walking 

 leisurely along the slender upper bar of an iron railing, some three yards in length, preserving his balance 

 most perfectly, keeping his body nearly parallel to the horizontal iron bar, and not in any way resorting to 

 the aid of his wings." A fine living example was brought to me at Galle in 1873, and I placed it in a large 

 bamboo aviary, in which were confined a Crested Eagle and a Wood-Owl, both referred to in the early part of 

 this work. On being first placed in the aviary, it slunk into the corner, and did not become aware of the 

 presence of the Raptorial birds ; about an hour afterwards it discovered them, and displayed the most curious 

 movements of surprise and curiosity. Its head moved at slight intervals from side to side, but with an 

 instantaneous jerk, and shot out every now and then with the same movement, the feathers of the back, neck, and 

 occiput being at the same time erected and the eyes fixed on the two birds, one of which (the Owl) manifested 

 the most intense surprise at the extraordinary creature beneath him, while the Eagle stood on one leg, with 



