NTCTIAEDHA. 259 



" The eggs of the Night-Heron were smaller and of a more elon- 

 gated shape than those of the Common Heron, and were of a purer 

 and lighter green. Both of these Herons breed much earlier in 

 Cashmere than in the plains of India. 



" Another breeding-place of the Night-Heron which I found out 

 was at Muniah Q-hat, on the bank of the Ganges, halfway between 

 the Tense Eiver and Allahabad. 



" The trees in which they bred were about a dozen tamarinds 

 close to the Muniah village. One side of the clump was occupied 

 by a colony of Ardea alba, while the other belonged to the Night- 

 Herons. There were about a dozen pairs, and they had fresh eggs 

 in the beginning of August, or three months later than the breeding- 

 time in Cashmere. 



" I have only noticed these two breeding-places of the Night- 

 Heron, but without doubt it breeds generally over North-western 

 India in suitable localities, i.e. in well- watered districts. I should 

 observe that in every instance in which I have found the breeding- 

 place of Herons or Egrets in India, the trees chosen were close to 

 native houses." 



Colonel Butler writes : — " Mr. Doig and I found a large colony 

 of Night-Herons breeding in the E. Narra, Sind, at the end of 

 July 1878, in a dense tamarisk thicket, several acres in extent, in 

 the middle of a large dhund, in one part of which a few clumps of 

 tall bulrushes were growing, and in these and the adjoining trees the 

 nests were buUt. Herons, Egrets, Cormorants, and Snake-birds were 

 building in hundreds all round, but the Night-Herons had formed 

 a separate colony. At the time we visited the place (24th), the 

 birds were mostly building, but subsequently about a week later 

 our man took any number of eggs." 



Mr. Gates records the following note from Pegu : — " This bird 

 breeds in immense quantities in the swamps at Myitkyo. I have 

 not taken the eggs because it was simply impossible, among the 

 mass of birds, to authenticate the eggs properly. This bird flew 

 off before the nest could be seen, whereas many of the other species 

 allowed the canoe to approach pretty near before going away. 

 July and August may, however, be considered the months in which 

 they lay. The nests do not differ from those of A. purpurea and 

 H. alba ; ior I saw only one type of nest all the time, and many 

 must have belonged to the present species." 



The eggs vary very much in shape and size. Typically, I think, 

 they are much of the shape of a hen's egg, but some again are 

 considerably elongated, and here and there a specimen approaches 

 the Cormorant shape. Typically, they are rather obtuse at both 

 ends, but many are decidedly pointed, and some are more or less 

 pyriform towards one end. The colour is a delicate pale sea-green, 

 but some, when fresh, are a decidedly bright, though light green, 

 and here and there an egg is to be met with so pale that it is scarcely 

 more than greenish white. 



In length they vary from 1-68 to 2-06, and in breadth from 1-3 

 to 1'45 ; but the average of eighteen eggs is 1'92 by 1"3.5. 



17* 



