NYCT1ARDEA GRISEA. 
417 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Nests. placed on trees and composed of sticks, somewhat loosely arranged. Eygs, three to five in number, varying 
from elliptical to oval in form, pale bluish-green in color, unspotted. Dimensions from l'35x 1 "90 to l’55x2‘15. 
HABITS. 
The Night Herons are among the most widely distributed of the family, and their cries 
may be heard in almost any section, from Maine to Florida, as they make their nightly ex¬ 
cursions from their roosts to their feeding grounds. The notes uttered by these birds, which 
are loud and abrupt, have gained for them a number of uncouth appellations, among which 
Quak, Squak, and Gobly-gossit are examples. As may be inferred from the name, these 
Herons are decidedly nocturnal in habit, seeing remarkably well by night, during which 
time, they usually feed; but in the breeding season, when they have their young to care 
for, they fish by day-light, as well as during the hours of darkness. It has been affirmed 
by some, that the Night Herons are furnished with a phosphorescent light on the peculiar 
powder patches, with which all the Herons are provided and which usually lie along the 
breast; but I now think that this, perhaps, is a matter of question, as tame Night Herons 
which 1 have kept, exhibited no such peculiarities. It is probable, however, that the oily 
powder which readily falls from the short, downy feathers, tends to attract fish, as it is not 
uncommon to find it floating on the water in which a Night Heron has been standing. 
The Night Herons deposit their eggs in Florida, from the middle of March to the mid¬ 
dle of April, and in the North, they breed from the first of May until June. Heronries-of 
these birds are particularly filthly, when compared with those of other Herons, as the birds 
appear to bring in a much greater supply of fish, than is eaten by the young, and this eith¬ 
er falls to the ground and decays, or is left on the nests. Then the young Herons are 
always ready to disgorge the contents of their stomachs, upon the slightest provocation, 
and the half digested fish which they throw up, has an exceedingly disagreeable odor. 
These Herons are very noisy birds, even when unmolested, and both young and old keep 
up a continual discord, the adults croaking or emitting guttural cries, and the young an¬ 
swering by chattering. When an intruder enters their abode, however, these sounds are 
increased some ten fold, for then, every bird not only joins in the chorus, but each appears 
to try to outdo the others, in giving vent to the most uncouth and ear-grating sounds; in 
fact, if one wishes to acquire a good idea of pandemonium, let him visit a large Night Her¬ 
onry. 
These birds are not particularly wild when they are not shot at, and will often alight 
on the trees over the head of the collector. When taken young, they become very tame, 
and I once kept five for a season. These birds surprised me, by the variety of disposition 
which they displayed. For example, one was very affectionate and would always run to 
meet me before the others saw me, and delighted in perching on my knee, and in allow¬ 
ing me to caress him; another was extremely neat and sleek in appearance, but this bird was 
quite shy and never allowed me to touch him. While a third was noticeably untidy, his 
feathers always presenting a ruffled appearance; this bird was remarkably greedy, and on 
one occasion, when I was chopping some fish for them with a hatchet, he reached out for 
a morsel, just as the instrument was falling, and before I could check the blow, the upper 
mandible of the Heron was completely severed. This accident did not appear to trouble 
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