NIGHT-HERON. 497 



been found in most parts of England^ three or four times in Scotland, 

 and as many times in Ireland. These occurreuces have been chiefly in 

 spring, but there does not seem to be any evidence that this bird has ever 

 bred in our islands. 



The Night-Heron, subject to some slight variation in size, is found both 

 in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. To the countries north of the 

 Baltic it is a very rare straggler, having occurred once on the Faroe 

 Islands and once in Sweden. At the present time it can only be regarded 

 as a straggler to Holland and North Germany, its old breeding-colonies 

 in both these countries having been destroyed. It is still a regular summer 

 visitor to the Spanish peninsida, the south of France, North Italy, the 

 valley of the Danube, Transylvania, South Russia, and the Caucasus. It 

 breeds in all suitable localities throughout Africa down to the Cape 

 Colony, in Palestine, Asia Minor, Persia, West Turkestan, throughout 

 India and Ceylon, the Burma peninsula, China, and South Japan, and has 

 been found in many of the islands of the Malay Archipelago. On the 

 continent of America it is found throughout the United States, extending 

 northwards as far as New Brunswick, and southwards into Mexico, Central 

 America, and Brazil. 



The Night-Heron has several near allies. In the southern portion of 

 South America it is represented by N. obscurus, in which the grey portion 

 of the plumage is darker and browner. Other more distantly allied species 

 {N. caledonius, from Australia, and N. manillensis, from the Malay Archi- 

 pelago) are distinguished by their chestnut-brown backs. 



The Night-Heron is not found in Europe during winter ; it arrives in 

 Spain and Greece during April, but does not reach its breeding-grounds 

 in the valley of the Danube until May. It is said to be more nocturnal 

 in its habits than its allies, but I did not find it so during the breeding- 

 season. On the marshes near the great colonies, where it nests with the 

 Little Egret and Squacco Heron, all three species were seen feeding at all 

 hours of the day; but most writers on the subject agree that when the 

 breeding-season is over, the Night-Heron is less active during the day, and 

 feeds principally in early morning and late evening. Prom the nature of 

 its food it is essentially a swamp-bird, and is found most commonly in 

 marshes surrounded with trees, in which it roosts at night or perches 

 during the daytime. 



During flight the broad wings and comparatively short legs of the 

 Night-Heron cause it to resemble more the Squacco Heron tlian the Little 

 Egret j but like both these birds it flies with a steady flapping of the wings, 

 its head almost between its shoulders, and its legs stretched out in the 

 same line as the beak. Its flight is very noiseless, but well sustained. It 

 seems to be quite at home on the thick branches of a tree, and even clings 

 with ease to the almost perpendicular, slender twigs of the pollard willows. 



VOL. II. ^^ 



