NIGHT HERON. lOS 



hover around, making an occasional sweep among the young; and 

 the Bald Eagle himself has been seen reconnoitring near the spot, 

 probably with the same design. 



Contrary to the generally received opinion, the males and fe- 

 males of these birds are so alike in color as scarcely to be distin- 

 guished from each other; both have also the long slender plumes 

 that flow from the head. These facts I have exhibited by dissec- 

 tion on several subjects, to different literary gentlemen of my ac- 

 quaintance, particularly to my venerable friend Mr. William Bar- 

 tram, to whom I have also often shewn the young, represented at 

 fig. 3. One of these last, which was kept for some time in the bo- 

 tanic garden of tliat gentleman, by its voice instantly betrayed its 

 origin, to the satisfaction of all who examined it. These young 

 certainly receive their full colored plumage before the succeeding 

 spring, as on their first arrival no birds are to be seen in the dress 

 of fig. 3, but soon after they have bred these become more nume- 

 rous than the others. Early in October they migrate to the south. 

 According to Buffon, these birds also inhabit Cayenne; and are 

 found widely dispersed over Europe, Asia, and America. The 

 European species, however, is certainly much smaller than the 

 American; tho, in other respects, corresponding exactly to it. 

 Among a great number which I examined with attention, the fol- 

 lowing description was carefully taken from a common sized full 

 grown male. 



Length of the Night Heron two feet four inches, extent four 

 feet; bill black, four inches and a quarter long from the corners 

 of the mouth to the tip; lores, or space between the eye and bill, a 

 bare bluish white skin; eyelids also large and bare, of a deep pur- 

 ple blue; eye three quarters of an inch in diameter, the iris of a 

 brilliant blood red, pupil black; crested crown and hind head deep 

 dark blue, glossed with green; front and line over the eye white; 

 from the hind head proceed three very narrow white tapering fea- 

 thers, between eight and nine inches in length; the vanes of these 



