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ORD. I. GEN. II. HERON. 



SPE. III. NIGHT HERON. 

 PL 146. 



Ardea nycticorax. Lin. Syft. I. p. 235. 

 Le Bihoreau. Brif. Orn. V. p. 493. 



The male of this fpecies is a very elegant bird, about twenty inches in length. 

 The bill is ftout and blackiih, except at the bale, where it is yellow : the eyes 

 are orange coloured : the crown and back part of the head black : from the 

 latter hang three flender feathers, five or fix inches long : the upper part of 

 the back is of a dull blackifh green : the lower part, rump, wings, and tail, 

 pale afh colour : the forehead, neck, belly, and thighs, white : the legs yellow- 

 ifh green. 



In the female the crown of the head is glofiy brown: the upper parts of the 

 body the fame, inclining to grey, as is the body in general in different fhades, 

 and each feather dalhed down the fhaft with yellowifh white : the quills and 

 tail allien grey, tipped with white. 



This bird has been very feldom met with in England. 



