44 
BRITISH BIRDS* 
the neckj coverts of the wings, fides and tail, are 
afh-coloured ; throat white, fore part of the neck, 
breafl and belly yellowifh white or buff ; the back 
black, the legs a greenifh yellow. 
The female is nearly of the fame fize as the 
male, but fhe differs confiderably in her plumage, 
which is lefs bright and diflind, being more blend- 
ed with clay or dirty white, brown, grey, and rufty 
afh-colour, and fhe has not the delicate plumes 
which flow from the head of the male. 
The Night Heron frequents the fea-fhores, rivers, 
and inland marfhes, and lives upon crickets, flugs, 
frogs, reptiles, and fifh. It remains concealed du- 
ring the day, and does not roam abroad until the 
approach of night, when it is heard and known by 
its rough, harfh, and difagreeable cry, which is by 
fome compared to the noife made by a perfon ftrain- 
ing to vomit. Some ornithologifls affirm that the 
female builds her nefl: on trees, others that fhe 
builds it on rocky cliffs : probably both accounts 
are right. She lays three or four white eggs. 
This fpecies is not numerous, although widely 
difperfed over Europe, Afia, and America. 
The above figure was taken from a fluffed fpeci- 
men in the Wycliffe Mufeum, and is the only one 
the author has feen. The bird is indeed very un- 
common in this country. Latham mentions one in 
the Leverian Mufeum, which was fliot not mapy 
miles from London, in May, 1782. 
