Part 13

The NIGHT HERON (_Nycticorax Europæus_) has a compact body, short, thick, broad beak, curved at its culmen, moderately high legs, broad wings, and thick plumage, which, unlike that of the members of the family already described, has but three of its feathers unusually prolonged; these are slender, and placed on the back of the head. In the adult bird, the crown, nape, upper part of the back, and shoulders are greenish black, the rest of the mantle and sides of the throat dark grey; the feathers on the under side are pale straw-yellow, and the three long crest-feathers either quite white or white and black. The eye is of a rich purple, the beak black with yellow base, the bare patch on the head green, and the foot greenish yellow. In the young, the mantle is brown, spotted with brownish yellow and yellowish white; the throat yellow, and belly white, spotted with brown; the eyebrows are brown, and the head without crest. This species is from twenty-one to twenty-two inches long, and forty-four broad; the wing measures twelve inches and a half, and the tail four inches and a quarter.

The Night Heron is extremely common in Holland in the summer, and is also met with in Germany, Italy, the south of France, and Spain; occasionally, but very rarely, it has been shot in Great Britain. It visits Africa during the winter, and is found far in the interior of that continent. In northern latitudes it appears about the end of April, and leaves again in September or October. The Night Herons both sleep and breed upon trees, and therefore principally frequent well-wooded localities, whether these be in the vicinity of water or not; in moist, well-planted regions, however, they are especially numerous. Except during the breeding season they sleep, or at any rate remain quiet, throughout the entire day, and only descend at twilight from their perches in order to seek for food. Upon the ground they progress slowly, with short steps, but move in the air with comparative swiftness, alternating an easy gliding motion with rapid but noiseless strokes of the wings. In places where these birds abound, they are often seen flying together in very large flocks, at a considerable height, on their way to a suitable hunting-ground, over which they generally hover before alighting. Among the branches they climb with an agility that is not exceeded by any member of the family. Their voice is extremely harsh, and somewhat resembles the discordant croak of the Raven. The Night Herons breed from May to July, and usually form regular settlements not only of their own species, but with many allied birds. The large, carelessly-constructed nest is placed high on trees, and contains four or five oval green eggs of very various shades. The female broods, whilst her mate mounts guard quietly perched by her side, or quarrels with and teases other males in his neighbourhood.

The Great Night Heron of America, which is considered by Audubon and others as a distinct species, is seen as far as the northern and eastern extremities of the United States, but is unknown farther northwards. In the winter it goes as far as the tropics. These birds arrive in Pennsylvania in April, and immediately take possession of their old nurseries, usually in the depths of a cedar swamp, or of some inundated and inaccessible grove of oaks; there they pass the day till twilight comes, and then the parent birds sally forth to the sea-shores and marshes in search of food for themselves and young, proceeding in marshalled ranks, and uttering from time to time a guttural "kwah," in a hollow voice, that resembles the sound of a person vomiting. The eyries of the "Kwah" birds have been occupied from remote times by eighty or one hundred pairs, and when the trees are felled, they only remove to another part of the same swamp.

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The BITTERNS (_Ardetta_) are recognisable by their comparatively small size, slender bill, low feathered tarsi, their short wings, in which the second quill is longer than the rest, and weak short tail. The plumage, which is by no means striking in its coloration, varies in hue according to the age and sex of the bird.

THE LITTLE BITTERN.

The LITTLE BITTERN (_Ardetta minuta_) is from fourteen to sixteen inches long, and from twenty-one to twenty-three broad; the wing measures five inches and three-quarters, and the tail two inches. This elegant bird is of a glossy blackish green on the crown, nape, back, and shoulders; the upper wing and under side are reddish yellow, spotted with black on the side of the breast; the quills and tail-feathers are black; the eye and bridles yellow. The pale yellow beak is brown at its culmen; and the foot greenish yellow. In the female all the dark parts are brownish black, and the light portions of the plumage pale yellow; the young have the crown and nape reddish brown, striped with a deeper shade, the under side spotted brown and reddish yellow, and lower belly and tail-covers white. The Little Bittern is only a summer visitor to Great Britain. It frequents marshes, osier holts, and other places in the neighbourhood of water, feeding on such small animal food as is there easily obtained.

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The COMMON BITTERN (_Botaurus stellaris_) is the representative of a group having a compact body, long thin neck, a narrow high beak, large-toed feet, broad wings, a tail composed of ten feathers, and thick plumage, which is slightly prolonged on the neck. The sexes only differ in their size. In both the crown is black, the nape greyish black, mixed with yellow, and the rest of the plumage spotted and streaked with dark brown of various shades; the throat exhibits three stripes; the eye is bright yellow, and the bare portion around it greyish green; the upper mandible is brownish grey, and the lower one of greenish hue; the foot is light green, with yellow joints. This bird is twenty-eight inches long and forty-eight broad. The wing measures fifteen and the tail five inches. The nest is placed in marshes, among reeds. The eggs are five in number, of an olive colour. Its food consists principally of fish and reptiles of various kinds. During the breeding season it utters a loud bellowing noise, and for this cause it probably received the generic name of _Botaurus_. "This bellowing noise", says Latham, "is supposed to arise from a loose membrane, which can be filled with air and exploded at pleasure. The situation of it is at the divarication of the windpipe. It is capable of great distension, and is probably the cause of this singular phenomenon, observed, we believe, in no other bird, at least in the same degree." At other times the bird makes a sharp harsh cry on rising, not unlike that of a Wild Goose.

THE SUN BITTERN, OR PEACOCK HERON.

The SUN BITTERN, or PEACOCK HERON (_Eurypyga helias_), represents a group of South American birds, having a small meagre body, long thin neck, a head resembling that of a Heron, and a long, straight, hard-pointed, and powerful beak, compressed at its sides, and slightly arched at its culmen. The high slender foot has the hinder toe moderately developed; and the large broad wing has its third quill longer than the rest; the remarkably long tail is composed of broad feathers. The rich, lax, and variegated plumage is black upon the head and nape; the eyebrows, a line that passes from the corner of the mouth to the nape, the chin, and throat are all white; the feathers on the back and shoulders, and the upper secondaries are black, striped with brownish red; the feathers on the rump and upper tail-covers are black and white; those on the neck striped black and white; and those on the under side yellowish or brownish white; the quills are light grey, veined with black and white, and striped with brown; the tail is similarly coloured, but is broadly marked with a black stripe, edged on one side with brown. Slight variations from the above colours and markings are often observable. The eye is red, the beak yellow, and the foot straw-colour. This species is about sixteen inches long.

This beautiful bird is a native of the northern parts of South America, and is met with on the coast and river-banks from Guiana to Peru, and from Ecuador to the Province of Goyas, in Brazil. Upon the shores of the Orinoco and Amazon it is especially numerous. We are told by travellers that among all the gorgeously-coloured inhabitants of these luxuriant regions, the Peacock Heron is conspicuous, presenting as it does a most brilliant combination of yellow, green, black, brown, and grey, when seen by the full light of the sun, in whose rays it delights to bask, keeping meanwhile its wings and tail gracefully outspread. In Para, in Northern Brazil, says Bates, "the banks at the edge of the water are clothed with mangrove bushes, and beneath them the muddy banks, into which the long roots that hang down from the fruit before it leaves the branches strike their fibres, swarm with crabs. On the lower branches the beautiful _Ardea Eurypyga helias_ is found. This is a small Heron, of exquisitely graceful shape and mien; its plumage is minutely variegated with bars and spots of many colours, like the wings of certain kinds of moths. It is difficult to see the bird in the woods, on account of its sombre colours and the shadiness of its dwelling-places; but its note, a soft, long-drawn whistle, often betrays its hiding-place. I was told by the Indians that it builds on trees, and that the nest, which is made of clay, is beautifully constructed. It is a favourite pet-bird of the Brazilians, who call it Pavaõ (pronounced 'Pavaong'), or Peacock. I often had opportunities of observing its habits. It soon becomes tame, and walks about the floors of houses, picking up scraps of food, or catching insects, which it secures by walking gently to the place where they settle, and spearing them with its long slender beak. It allows itself to be handled by children, and will answer to its name 'Pavaõ! Pavaõ!' walking up with a dainty, circumspect gait, and taking a fly or beetle from the hand." According to Castelnau, in its wild state the Sun Bittern is by no means so amiable, but if molested, springs upon its enemy as a cat does upon a mouse, beating the air meanwhile with its wings.

For further particulars respecting the habits of this beautiful species, we are indebted to observations made on birds that have been successfully reared in the Zoological Gardens of London and Amsterdam. A pair of Peacock Herons purchased in 1862 by the London Zoological Society, in 1865 showed symptoms of a desire to breed. According to Mr. Bartlett, whom we have to thank for the following interesting particulars, early in May they commenced carrying bits of grass, sticks, and such-like scraps, and were constantly walking round their pond, evidently in search of materials to compose a nest, and appeared to try to mix wet dirt with bits of moss. This proceeding suggested the idea of supplying them with wet clay and mud, which they at once employed. After a short time, they decided to make their nest on the top of a pole or tree about ten feet from the ground, on which was fixed an old straw nest. Both birds carried up mud and clay, mixed with bits of straw and grass-roots, in order to form the outer wall, and plastered the inside thickly with a coating of mud. Shortly after the nest was completed a broken egg was found, and in the early part of June another was laid; both parents took their turn in the work of incubation, and hatched the young bird on the 9th of July. It was covered with fine short down, and closely resembled a young Plover or Snipe in its general appearance. It remained in the nest, and was fed with small live fishes and insects, and did not gape or cry, but as soon as the parents appeared with food, it pecked the morsels from them, and swallowed them. It left the nest in twenty-one days, its wings being strong enough to bear it to the ground, where it was fed as before, and never returned to the nest; it grew very rapidly, and in two months' time was not distinguishable from the adults. Early in August the old birds began to repair the nest, adding a fresh lining of mud and clay; and at the end of the month the female laid another egg. This time the male attended more to the duties of incubation than his partner, who devoted her principal attention to feeding her now full-grown offspring. The second young bird was hatched on the 28th of September, but received such slight attention from its parents that the keeper feared it might starve from their neglect, and he therefore determined to go up by a ladder and feed it. The hungry little fellow took the food readily from his hand, and was thus reared till it arrived at maturity.

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The MARSH-WADERS (_Paludicolæ_) comprise so great a variety of species as to render a general description of their characteristics extremely difficult. In these birds the body is powerful, the neck of moderate size, the head small, the beak round and straight, the legs long, and the feet furnished with four toes; the wings are of medium length, and the tail short. The thick plumage varies strikingly in its hues in old and young birds, and but little in the sexes. Most of the members of this group occupy moist or boggy localities, and pass their lives upon the ground, while some few frequent the branches of trees. Insects, small animals of various kinds, combined with vegetable diet, afford them the means of subsistence. The eggs are deposited in a nest, and have a spotted shell.

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The CRANES (_Grues_) constitute by far the largest, best formed, and most intelligent division of the above birds, and are characterised by their almost conical body, long thin neck, small, beautifully-shaped head, and sharp, moderately strong beak, which is straight and slightly compressed at its sides and blunt at the culmen, about as long as the head, soft at its base, and hard at the tip. The long powerful legs are bare, and the feet are furnished with four toes; of these the hinder toe is so small as not to touch the ground; the exterior and centre toes are connected by skin as far as the first joints; the claws are short, blunt, and flatly curved, the wings large and broad, with the third quill longer than the rest and the upper secondaries much prolonged; the short tail is usually rounded, and the thick plumage composed of small feathers; in some species the head and neck are bare, in others adorned with beautiful plumes. The sexes are similar in their coloration, but differ much in size; the young resemble the adult bird after the first moulting, but only attain the flowing crest at a later period.

Cranes are met with in almost every portion of the globe, but are especially numerous in its warmer regions; such as inhabit northern latitudes migrate as far as, but do not breed in the countries near the equator. Marshy localities or morasses, in the vicinity of cultivated land, are the situations they prefer, as affording a rich and constant supply of the frogs, molluscs, worms, and vegetable diet upon which they subsist. In Palestine the Cranes visit the cultivated districts only in the time of their spring migrations, when but a few pairs remain in the marshy plains, while the greater number pass on to the north. In the Southern Wilderness they resort in immense numbers to certain favourite roosting-places during the winter. Towards evening at this season, we are told that clouds of these enormous birds literally darken the air. Their roosting-place, according to Dr. Tristram, is usually a gently-sloping, isolated knoll, where no ambush is possible, and where they can keep a good look-out on all sides. In such situations their whooping and trumpeting cry is to be heard through the entire night. The following interesting particulars respecting the migrations of these birds in the Wilderness of Sinai are from the notes of the Rev. F. W. Holland:--"On March the 22nd we saw an immense flock of Cranes crossing the Red Sea from Africa. The line appeared to stretch across the whole breadth of the sea. Five days afterwards we found a solitary one amongst the mountains, which did not attempt to fly, but stalked majestically on before our camels, quite regardless of a few revolver bullets whizzing close past him. At last an Arab boy gave chase, and running him into a bush soon caught him, and returned in triumph, holding him up by the tips of his wings. When released he stalked on as unconcernedly as before; but when on the point of being caught again, the strange bird suddenly took wing, and after wheeling round several times flew away over the mountains. On the 13th of April, three days south of Beersheba, in the desert, another large flock of more than two thousand Cranes passed over our heads, all going north as the others. In the beginning of May, several smaller flocks were seen crossing the same desert from Akabah towards Suez."

THE COMMON CRANE.

The COMMON CRANE (_Grus cinerea_) is recognisable by its partially bare head, and the long curly feathers on its upper wing-covers. In this bird the plumage is principally ash-grey, black in the region of the throat and brow, and whitish on the side of the neck; the quills are black, the eyes brownish red, and the feet blackish; the beak is reddish at its base, and blackish green at its tip. This species is four feet and a half long, and seven and three-quarters broad; the wing measures twenty-five and the tail eight inches in length.

The Common Crane is a native of the northern portions of the Eastern Hemisphere, from Central Siberia to Scandinavia, and from thence wanders south as far as China, India, and Central and Western Africa. The periodical migrations of these birds are remarkable for such punctuality that for a long series of years they have been observed to pass through France in the month of October, invariably returning during the latter half of the month of March. On these occasions they always fly in large flocks, which move with great rapidity; and alight during the day to rest and seek for food. The Common Crane, although now only an occasional visitor to England, was formerly much more common, and bred in the marshes, which then afforded it food and shelter. Since these have been drained, and the land cultivated, they have almost entirely disappeared. In Charles II.'s time Sir Thomas Browne writes: "Cranes are often seen here in hard weather, especially about the champaign and fieldy part. It seems they have been more plentiful, for in a bill when the Mayor entertained the Duke of Norfolk, I met with Cranes in a dish."

In an account preserved by Leland, in his "Collectanea Antiqua," of the great feast at the enthronisation of George Nevill, Archbishop of York and Chancellor of England, in the reign of King Edward IV., 204 Cranes form a part of the goodly provision detailed; and in the second course of the dinners, Crane forms the first "rost" dish, followed by "Cony, Heronshaw, and Curlew."

During their migrations, these birds always fly in two lines, which in front meet in an acute angle, thus forming a figure somewhat resembling the Greek letter [Greek: g], which, indeed, is said to have derived its shape from this very circumstance. One of the company always flies in advance of the rest, and thus constitutes the vertex of the angle; and if the movements of the flock are watched, it may readily be observed that when this individual becomes fatigued by being the first to cleave the air, it falls to the rear, and leaves the next in succession to take its post. It has been noticed, moreover, that when the Cranes in their migratory flights meet with a lofty mountain, they utter shrill cries, appear anxious and restless, and fly without any kind of order. Gradually, and each for itself, they now ascend spirally until such time as they have attained sufficient height to pass over the obstacle, when, assuming their original formation, they proceed on their course. At times their flight is so very high that, notwithstanding each individual occupies a considerable space, the birds themselves, though heard in the air, are not perceptible to the naked eye. Their shrill, loud, and trumpet-like note is audible far and near, and if at a short distance is almost deafening. Their voices are rendered more powerful by the peculiar construction of the windpipe, which forms several curvatures in the breast-bone, before descending into and joining the lungs. This tall and stately bird, when it stands upright, reaches to the breast of a man. It is of a shy and wary disposition, and when a large flock alights in a field, either for the purpose of feeding or resting, one or more of the party is always seen standing at some little distance, with head erect, and evidently on the watch. On the approach of danger this individual is the first to take wing, on which the rest follow its example. The nest of the Crane is generally placed among the thick reeds or in the luxuriant herbage of their favourite marshes, but occasionally on the top of some deserted edifice. The eggs are two in number, and have a greenish shell, spotted with brown. Both parents brood, and feed their offspring at first in the nest; the young do not attain their full strength of wing until several months old.

THE DEMOISELLE, OR NUMIDIAN CRANE.

The DEMOISELLE, or NUMIDIAN CRANE (_Anthropoides virgo_), is distinguishable from its congeners by its short beak and entirely feathered head, which is decorated with two flowing plumes; also by the length of the plumage on the lower neck, and the prolonged but straight feathers on the upper wing-covers. The unusually soft plumage is chiefly light grey; the long feathers on the lower neck are deep black, the crests pure white, and the quills greyish black; the eye is bright red; the beak dull green at the base, horn-grey towards the extremity, and pale red at the tip; the foot is black. This species is from thirty-two to thirty-three inches long and sixty-four broad; the wing measures seventeen and the tail six inches. The young are without the flowing feathers on the head and neck.

This beautiful and attractive bird inhabits South-eastern Europe and Central Asia, and is especially numerous at the mouth of the Volga, in the countries bordering on the Caspian Sea, and in Mongolia and Tartary; from thence it wanders as far as Southern India and Central Africa; occasionally it has been also met with in South-western Europe. The Demoiselle Crane arrives and departs about the same time as the other members of the family, and like them frequents the vicinity of water or morasses, but, according to Radde, sometimes occupies mountain regions, even to an altitude of 3,500 feet above the sea. In its habits and modes of life it closely resembles the Cranes already described, and like them lays but two eggs. Both sexes brood, and commence their preparations about April; by the end of July the young are fledged, and shortly after that time are able to fly in company with the adults. The Demoiselles have received their name from the dancing movements in which they frequently indulge, the males entertaining the females and each other by leaping and turning round, accompanying all their actions with a constant waving of the head.

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