THE NIGHT-HERON. 
259 
Length 28 inches^ tail 4-5^ wing 12*5^ tarsus 3*8, bill from gape 3*8. 
The female is rather smaller. 
The Common European Bittern is apparently a rare bird in Burmah. 
Captain J enkins shot two at Zeinganein^ near Pegu_, on the 2nd of Decem- 
ber^ and sent them to me the same day. I have heard of no other instance 
of its occurrence in Burmah. Captain Jenkins shot these two birds in 
thick paddy growing on the edge of an extensive swamp_, and he observed 
others at the same time. 
It is met wdth over the greater part of Europe^ Africa and Asia^ China 
and Burmah being about its eastern limit in the latter continent. 
This Bittern is a nocturnal bird^ lying hidden in dense vegetation during 
the day; its note is a loud croak^ but during the breeding-season it 
utters a very peculiar booming sound. In Europe its nest is placed on 
the ground in reed-beds ; and it lays three or four eggs, of a brownish- 
olive colour. 
Genus NYCTIAEDEA, Swains. 
624. NYCTIARDEA NYCTICORAX. 
THE NIGHT-HEBON. 
Ardea nycticorax, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 235. Ardea grisea, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 
p, 239. Nycticorax griseus, Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 758 j Salvad. Ucc. Born. 
p. 356; Hume, S. F. iv. p. 415; Bl. B. Burm. p. 161 ; Oates, S. F. v. p. 168; 
Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 1165 ; Anders. Yunnan Exped. p. 690 ; Hume 8f Dav. 
S. F. vi. p. 484 ; Dresser, Birds Eur. vi. p. 269, pi. ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 114 ; 
Scully, S. F. viii. p. 361 ; Oates, S. F. x. p. 244. Nyctiardea nycticorax, 
Hmne, Nests and Eggs, p. 624 ; Hume, S. F. iii. p. 192 ; Armstrong, S. F. iv. 
p. 350 ; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 444. 
Description.— Adult. Crown, nape, a narrow line down the back of the 
neck, the back and scapulars black glossed with metallic green ; feathers 
of the nape lengthened ; a few very long narrow feathers springing from 
the nape white ; forehead, a streak over the eye, sides of the face, chin and 
throat white ; lower plumage white tinged with grey or pale vinous ; rump, 
upper tail-coverts, tail, the whole of the wings and the sides of the neck 
deep grey with a vinous tinge. 
The young have no crest j the upper plumage is ashy brown, the quills 
and the wing-coverts with large whitish spots at the tips ; the other parts 
more or less centrally streaked with ruf escent white ; the sides of the head 
and neck and the whole lower plumage pale fulvous, boldly streaked with 
ashy brown. 
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