. Birds of Massachusetts and other New England states. Birds; Birds. 338 BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS. Night Herons in the Tree-Tops ing in coastal waters more or less by the tides, and like the owls it is often quite active in cloudy weather during the day. There is an ancient tale which has come down to us from the dim past to the effect that the Night Heron can throw out a light from its breast which shines on the water and attracts its finny prey, thereby enabling the canny bird to direct that swift stroke of its powerful beak by which it seizes the luckless creature. I have talked with two repu
. Birds of Massachusetts and other New England states. Birds; Birds. 338 BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS. Night Herons in the Tree-Tops ing in coastal waters more or less by the tides, and like the owls it is often quite active in cloudy weather during the day. There is an ancient tale which has come down to us from the dim past to the effect that the Night Heron can throw out a light from its breast which shines on the water and attracts its finny prey, thereby enabling the canny bird to direct that swift stroke of its powerful beak by which it seizes the luckless creature. I have talked with two reputable eye-witnesses of this alleged light. In one of these cases the bird was actually shot while the light was shining; also I have received letters from three others who claim to have seen such a light which they attributed to the Night Heron. As the story is told, the light shines from the fore part of the bird's body, and is as bright as the glow of a number of fireflies. Nevertheless, though I have kept the bird in confinement and watched it in the dark and have lain all night near a great heronry, I have never seen any indication of such a light, and so far as I know no ornithologist has ever seen it. Probably those who have reported the light saw something, but what they saw re- mains to be determined. Such a light has been attributed also to the Bittern and to other herons. The powder-down tracts on the breast are supposed to be its source. Other species, however, have powder-down tracts to which no light has been attributed. Ornithologists generally are very skeptical about the probability of any light emanating from the Night Heron. Dr. A. O. Gross may be considered an authority on this bird, as he has published a paper on the species which shows thorough and painstaking investigation and rises almost to the dignity of a He says: " Thus far I have not substantiated the statements frequently made that these tracts are phosphorescent organs, nor have I
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