610 



EUROPEAN NIGHTHERON. 



Gardenian Heron. Penn, Arct. ZooL 2. 355. young. — Lath, 



Gen. Syn, 5,71.32. young. 

 Night Heron, or Qua Bird. Wills, Amer, Orn. 7. 101. pi. Ixi, 



f.l.f.2, young. 

 Chesnut Heron. Lath, Gen. Syn, 5, 73. 37. young. 

 Night Heron, or Night Raven. Penn. Arct, Zool. 2. 356. — 



Will, {Ang.) 27g.pl. 49. — Alb, Birds, 2, pi, 67.— Lath, Gen. 



Syn. 5, 52, — Lath. Syn, Sup. 234. — Lew. Brit, Birds. 4. pL 



145. — Wale. Syn, 2. pi. 126.— Bew. Brit. Birds. 2. 43. — Mont. 



Orn, Diet, I,— Mont, Orn, Diet, Sup, 



AccoRDixVG to the observations of Meijer, several 

 of the Lathamian Herons are ascertained to belong 

 to the present species, which puts on a very dis- 

 similar appearance at different periods of its life. 

 The full grown bird, in its perfect plumage, is 

 about twenty-two inches in length : the head, the 

 occiput, the back, and the scapulars, are black, 

 with hues of green and blue : on the nape are 

 situated three long, narrow, white feathers, mea- 

 suring about seven inches in length : the lower 

 part of the back, the wings, and the tail, are fine 

 grey : the forehead, the eyebrows, the throat, the 

 fore-part of the neck, and the under parts of the 

 body, are pure white : the beak is black, with its 

 base yellowish: the irides are red: the legs are 

 greenish yellow. Both sexes are similar. The 

 young of the first year are destitute of the three 

 narrow feathers on the nape : the top of the head, 

 the nape, the back, and the scapulars, are dull 

 brown, with bright red longitudinal stripes on the 

 shaft of each feather : the throat is white, slightly 

 spotted with brown : the feathers of the sides and 

 fore-part of the neck are yellowish, deeply edged 



