144 THE NATUKALIST'S GUIDE. 



208. Ardetta exilis, Gray. — Least Bittern. Very 

 rare in summer. Mr. William Brewster has a specimen in 

 his cabinet, taken on the Fresh Pond marshes in Belmont, 

 August 11, 1868. 



209. Eotaurus lentiginosus, Stbph. — Bittern, 

 "Meadow Hen," "Indian Hen," " Dunkadoo." Common 

 summer resident. Breeds, nesting in inaccessible places 

 in swamps and fresh marshes. Arrives early in April; 

 leaves in October. This species is rare on the sea-shore. 



210. Butorides virescens, Bosr. — "Green Heron," 

 " Mud-Hen," " Poke," " ChalkJine." Common summer 

 resident. Breeds, nesting in thickets and thick woods, 

 but more commonly on the sea-shore than in the interior. 



211. Nyctiardea Gardenii, Baibd.- — Night Heron, 

 " Qua-Bird," " Squak," " Gobly-gossit." Common summer 

 resident, breeding abundantly in communities, both on 

 the coast and in the interior. The young, when able to 

 fly, congregate on the sea-shore. Although nocturnal in 

 habit, it sees well by day. Arrives early in April ; leaves 

 in October. 



As substantiating the hypothesis concerning the luminous- 

 ness of the peculiar spot on the breast of this Heron, I give 

 the following, as related to me by Mrs. H. B. Farley, of 

 Ipswich. I may state that Mrs. Farley, until after she had 

 related the story, had no knowledge of any particular in- 

 terest being attached to the fact she had discovered ; for 

 this reason she was an unbiased obsei'ver, which gives the 

 discovery additional importance- 



" Three or four years ago I was sitting on the banks of 

 Ipswich River, just at twilight, waiting for my brother to 

 come for me in a boat to convey me home. I was keeping 

 very quiet, when I saw a Heron alight within a few feet 

 of me, on the edge of the water. He was joined by others, 

 until there were about a dozen, then I observed that every 

 one of them had a luminous spot on its breast. This 



