HERON. 59 



not ill resembling a person attempting to vomit. The Amer. Orn. 

 informs us, that contrary to the generally received opinion, both 

 sexes, when adult, are so alike in colour, as not to be distinguished, 

 and both are furnished with the slender plumes at the hindhead; and 

 that the reputed female is no other than the young bird in its first 

 year's dress; but that they gain the full plumage the succeeding 

 spring; for on their first arrival in April, no birds are to be seen in 

 the speckled plumage ; but soon after they have bred, these become 

 more numerous than the others. They migrate early in October. 



20.— CALEDONIAN NIGHT HERON. 



Ardea Caledonica, hid. Orn. ii. 679. Gm. Lin. i. 626. 



Le Tayagu-guira, Voy. d'Azara, iv. No. 357 ? 



Caledonian Night Heron, Gen. Syn. v. 55. Cook's Voy. ii. p. 111. pi. 50. 



LENGTH twenty-two inches. Bill straight, shaped as the 

 Night Heron, and black ; between the bill and eye bare and green ; 

 irides yellow ; from the nape spring three long feathers, reaching to 

 the back, as in that bird ; crown black ; over the eyes, between that 

 and the crest, a streak of white ; general colour of the plumage 

 ferruginous, inclining to brown, the neck palest, the feathers of it 

 loose before ; breast, belly, and under parts, white ; legs yellow ; 

 claws dusky. 



Inhabits New Caledonia, where it is called Collinah ; one similar 

 in plumage from New-Holland was in the collection of Mr. Bullock. 



Among Mr. Francillon's collection of New-Holland drawings 

 was one, probably the female. Bill dusky, pale rufous beneath ; 

 round the eye bare and bluish ; irides yellow ; plumage in general 

 rufous brown; crown of the head dark; parts above dusky brown, 

 beneath white ; neck streaked with dusky ; back and wing coverts 

 mottled, and marked with pale spots, with the addition of a few 



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