380 NIGHT-HERON. 
are on record ; while in Ireland about twenty examples have been 
obtained in various localities, from Cork to Donegal. 
The Night-Heron occasionally wanders to the Feroes, South 
Sweden and Denmark, but even on the southern side of the Baltic 
it is rare, and of late years has gradually been driven from many of 
its nesting-places in the northern portions of Germany and Holland. 
In France it is chiefly known on migration, though it breeds 
sparingly in the south ; it nests in the Spanish Peninsula, as well 
as on the mainland of Italy—which it leaves in autumn, though 
resident in Sardinia ; while on passage it visits the coasts and other 
islands of the Mediterranean. Large colonies are found on the 
Danube, and throughout the districts of the Black and Caspian Seas. 
Eastward, it is distributed throughout temperate and southern Asia, 
as well as over the whole of Africa ; in fact it is almost cosmopolitan, 
inasmuch as slightly varying forms inhabit America, from the Fur 
Countries down to the Falkland Islands. In Australia, and north- 
ward to the Pelew Islands and Celebes, the representative is /V. 
caledonicus, which has the upper parts of a bright cinnamon-colour. 
The Night-Heron breeds in colonies, usually building a nest of 
small sticks radiating from the centre, on trees or tamarisk-bushes in 
swamps; but in China, where it is held sacred, large groves are 
selected, and Swinhoe has described a vast assemblage round the 
great Honam Temple at Canton, where the nests are placed thickly in 
some venerable banyans. In some parts reed-beds are chosen, and 
in the swamps of Lake Michigan dead rice-stalks are built up into 
solid structures. The 3-5 eggs are very pale greenish-blue, slightly 
pointed at both ends: measurements 2 by 1°4 in. The bird com- 
mences sitting at once, and there is an interval of some two days 
between the laying of each egg. In Andalucia Mr. R. B. Lodge 
found eggs by May 8th, but further north incubation is later. The 
food consists of water-insects and their larvee, worms, snails, small 
fishes and frogs. The note is a mournful guva-a, seldom uttered in 
the daytime, though after dark the birds are very noisy. 
The adult male has the crown, nape, and middle of the back 
greenish-black ; neck, wings and tail grey; under parts greyish- 
white ; at the nape three to ten long white plumes; bill blackish 
above, lower mandible and lores lead-colour ; iris brick-red ; legs 
and feet yellow. Length about 23 in. ; wing 12 in. The female is 
duller in colour and has shorter nuchal plumes. The young bird has 
the upper plumage umber-brown, with paler streaks and white spots ; 
under parts striped with white, buff, and brown; no crest. Young 
males are capable of reproduction while still in immature plumage. 
