THE QUA BIRD. (Ardea Nycticorax. Wilson.)
This bird, otherwise known as the Night Heron, and the Rail, is found both in Europe and America. Its habits are somewhat different on the two continents, but the American bird may be safely considered as the type of the species. It is called Qua Bird on account of the rough guttural sound, qua, qua, which it utters while seeking its prey; and by some, Night Heron, from the circumstance of seeking its prey at night. During the day the Qua Birds perch in silence on high trees, and it seems probable that their eye cannot sustain the rays of the sun. But at night few birds are more active or enterprising. They are generally found in flocks, in the vicinity of deep swamps, or marshy woods, partially submerged by water. From these places troops of Qua Birds issue at twilight, and scatter themselves along ditches and by the river shore, to search for food. “On entering the swamp,” says Wilson, “in the neighborhood of one of these breeding places, the noise of the old and the young would almost induce one to suppose that two or three hundred Indians were choking or throttling each other. The instant an intruder is discovered, the whole rise in the air in silence, and remove to the tops of the trees in another part of the woods, while parties of from eight to ten make occasional circuits over the spot, to see what is going on. When the young are able they climb to the highest part of the trees, but, knowing their inability, do not attempt to fly. Though it is probable that these nocturnal birds do not see well during the day, yet their faculty of hearing must be exquisite, as it is almost impossible, with all the precautions one can use, to penetrate near their residence without being discovered. Several species of hawks hover around, making an occasional sweep among the young; and the Bald-Eagle himself has been seen reconnoitering near the spot, probably with the same design.”
Until recently the young of this bird was considered as the female. The close observations of Wilson detected the error; and his dissections proved that the male and the female were so similar in external appearance as to be distinguished only by a practiced eye. The length of the full grown bird is two feet four inches; extent of the wings four feet; the bill four inches and a quarter long from the corners of the mouth to the tip. The general color of the under plumage is white, tinged with cream; the wings are ash; and the back a glossy blue, inclining to green. From the hinder part of the head flows three long tapering feathers, about nine inches long, and so united, when the bird is quiet, as to appear but one. When alarmed or angry, the Qua Bird erects these singular appendages, which then give it a strange and threatening appearance. The eye of the species is noted for its beauty, the pupil being black and the iris blood-red. The young of the first year differs both in color and shape from the parent bird. Their food is composed of small fish, which the birds labor for with great industry at night.
The Qua Bird extends over a large portion of North America. It arrives in Pennsylvania about the beginning of April; and invariably chooses each season the building place occupied the season before. If that place has been disturbed by the advances of cultivation, the bird chooses a similar spot as near to it as possible; although instances have occurred, that, when persecuted by man, or teased by other birds, the Qua flock have departed in a body, for parts unknown. The eggs are four in number, of a pale blue color. This bird is found in India; but it is smaller than the American variety, and builds on the ground among reeds. The European bird is smaller than the Indian, but closely resembles it in other respects. It is, however, undoubtedly the same species as that which we have described.
THE ROSEATE SPOON-BILL. (Platalea Ajaja. Wilson.)
The group to which this bird belongs, form a connecting link between the Herons and the Tantali, and receive their name from the singular shape of the bill. Like the Herons, they live in flocks, preying in the twilight upon fish and aquatic animals. They are said to search the mud with their bills, in the manner of ducks, straining out the insects and other small animals, upon which they feed when nothing better can be obtained. The European Spoon-bills breed on trees by the sea-side, and sometimes take their prey from other birds. At such seasons they are very noisy, and will often attack birds larger than themselves. They are sometimes tamed, and their flesh is esteemed equal to that of the goose.
Of the habits of the species under consideration not much is known. It is found along the seashore from Brazil to Carolina, and has been seen in the northern parts of Louisiana. It is not very common, however, in any of the Southern States, but is frequently seen in Mexico and the West Indies. It is generally in the water, sometimes swimming about gracefully, at others diving and then searching for its prey. This consists of insects, fish, shell-fish and small crabs. Wilson gives the following account of a specimen, which he received from a friend, and which had been shot in the neighborhood of Natchez.
“The Roseate Spoon-bill now before us measured two feet six inches in length, and near four feet in extent; the bill was six inches and a half long from the corner of the mouth, seven from its upper base, two inches over at its greatest width, and three-quarters of an inch where narrowest; of a black color for half its length, and covered with hard, scaly protuberances, like the edges of oyster-shells; these are of a whitish tint, stained with red; the nostrils are oblong, and placed in the centre of the upper mandible; from the lower end of each there runs a deep groove along each side of the mandible, and about a quarter of an inch from its edge; whole crown and chin bare of plumage, and covered with a greenish skin; that below the under mandible dilatable, like those of the genus Pelicanus; space round the eye, orange; irides, blood-red; cheeks and hind head, a bare black skin; neck, long, covered with short white feathers, some of which, on the upper part of the neck, are tipped with crimson; breast, white, the sides of which are tinged with a brown, burnt color; from the upper part of the breast proceeds a long tuft of fine, hair-like plumage, of a pale rose color; back, white, slightly tinged with brownish; wings, a pale wild rose color, the shafts lake; the shoulders of the wings are covered with a long, hairy plumage, of a deep and splendid carmine; upper and lower tail coverts, the same rich red; belly, rosy; rump, paler; tail, equal at the end, consisting of twelve feathers of a bright brownish orange, the shafts reddish; legs and naked part of the thighs, dark dusky red; feet, half webbed; toes, very long, particularly the hind one. The upper part of the neck had the plumage partly worn away, as if occasioned by resting it on the back, in the manner of the Ibis. The skin on the crown is a little wrinkled; the inside of the wing a much richer red than the outer.”