NIGHT HERO N. 
305 
of the neck are long, narrow and pointed ; 'head crested, consisting first 
of a number of long narrow purple feathers, and under these seven or 
eight pendent ones, of a pure white, and twice the length of the former ; 
upper part of the back and wings light slate ; lower part of the back 
and rump white, but concealed by a mass of long unwebbed hair-like 
plumage, that falls over the tail and tips of the wings, extending three 
inches beyond them ; these plumes are of a dirty purplish brown at the 
base, and lighten towards the extremities to a pale cream color ; the 
tail is even at the tip, rather longer than the wings, and of a fine slate ; 
the legs and naked thighs greenish yellow; middle claw pectinated; 
whole lower parts pure white. Male and female alike in plumage, both 
being crested. 
Species VIII. ARDEA NYCTICORAX. 
NIGHT HERON, or QUA-BIRD. 
[Plate LXI. Fig. 2.] 
Arct. Zool. No. 356.— Le Bihoreau, Buff, vii, 435, 439, tab. 22. PI. Enl. 758, 759, 
899.— Lath. Syn. v. 3, p. 52, No. 13, p. 53, Young, called there the Female. 
This species, though common to both continents, and known in 
Europe for many centuries, has been so erroneously described by all 
the European naturalists, whose works I have examined, as to require 
more than common notice in this place. For this purpose, an accurate 
figure of the male is given, and also another of Avhat has, till now, been 
universally considered the female, with a detail of so much of their his- 
tory as I am personally acquainted with. 
The Night Heron arrives in Pennsylvania early in April, and imme- 
diately takes possession of his former breeding place, which is usually 
the most solitary, and deeply shaded part of a cedar swamp. Groves 
of swamp-oak, in retired and inundated places, are also sometimes 
chosen ; and the males not unfrequcntly select tall woods, on the banks 
of the river, to roost in during the day. These last regularly direct 
their course, about the beginning of evening twilight, towards the 
marshes, uttering, in a hoarse and hollow tone, the sound qua, which 
by some has been compared to that produced by the retchings of a 
person attempting to vomit. At this hour, also, all the nurseries in the 
swamps are emptied of their inhabitants, who disperse about the marshes, 
and along the ditches and river shore, in quest of food. Some of these 
breeding places have been occupied every spring and summer, for time 
immemorial, by from eighty to one hundred pairs of Qua-birds. In 
Vol. II.— 20 
