416 
NIGHT HERON. 
to Key West. They wade about the shallows, in search of fishes or frogs, and when dis¬ 
turbed, will rise with a shrill cry, which they repeat several times as they fly along the 
water, to alight on some favorite tree, from which point of observation, they will anxiously 
scan the intruder, with out-stretched necks. In the North, where they arrive early in 
May, they build their nests in some secluded thicket, in the neighborhood of ponds or 
streams, depositing their eggs about the first of June. Here the birds are rather solitary 
during the breeding season; but in Florida, where they lay in March and April, they often 
assemble in small heronries, and I have taken as many as fifteen nests, from one small is¬ 
land which was only a few yards in diameter. Among the Keys, they often place their 
domiciles on the roots of the mangroves, frequently not over six inches above high water 
mark. 
The Little Green Herons are not very shy birds, when not persecuted, and in Florida, 
they are very tame, allowing one to walk within a few yards of them. They make inter¬ 
esting pets and 1 once kept three which I had captured when quite young, all one summer. 
These birds which were allowed to go and come as they chose, always spent the night in 
a barrel which was laid on its side in a loft, the Herons gaining access to it, by passing 
through a partly opened window. These birds would always come to me when called, and 
remained about the place until antunm, when they departed, evidently migrating with oth¬ 
ers of the same species. 
GENUS II. NYCTIARDEA. THE NIGHT HERONS. 
Gen. Ch. Bill, quite short and thick. Legs, not very long. Tail feathers, twelve, stiffened. Head or back, provided 
with lenthened plume-like feathers. 
Members of this genus are conspicuous on account of their nocturnal habits, their eyes being remarkably large. There 
are two species within our limits. 
NYCTIARDEA GRISEA. 
Night Heron. 
Nyctiardea grisea Sw., Classif. Birds, II; 1837, 354. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Cii, Form, robust. Size, large. Tongue, long, slender, and tapering gradually to tip which is pointed. Head, 
provided with three or four long, slender plumes. Lower fourth of tibia, naked. 
Color. Adult. Top of head and back, black, glossed with green; remainder of upper surface, yellowish-ash. Fore¬ 
head and under surface, creamy-white. Naked space about head, greenish. Bill, black, yellow at base of lower mandi¬ 
ble, Iris, deep carmine. Legs, yellow. 
Young. Similar to the adulj^ but the black above is replaced by yellowish-rufous; the wings are strongly tinged with 
rufous, and the plumes are lacking. 
Young of the year. Dark-brown throughout, with the feathers streaked with yellowish-rufous and the wings are tipped 
with white. Ashy below, streaked with dusky. Iris, yellow, and feet, greenish. This plumage is retained until the fol¬ 
lowing spring. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
There is a singular form of this species which occurs both North and South, in which the young become much bleached, 
being, in fact, pale brown, streaked with white. All stages of plumages occur between the youug and adult. Known by 
the peculiar form, long plumes, and colors as described. Distributed, in summer, from Canada southward; wintering 
from Massachusetts to Florida. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 24*75; stretch, 44*60; wing, 12*25; tail, 
4 35; hill, 2 90; tarsus, 3*15. Longest specimen, 25*50; greatest extent of wing, 45*00; longest wing, 12 50; tail, 4 43; hill, 
3*15; tarsus, 3*35. Shortest specimen, 24*00; smallest extent of wing, 43*00; shortest wing, 12*00; tail, 4*20; bill, 2*75; tar¬ 
sus, 3*00. 
