ARDEID.E — THE HERONS — NYCTHERODIUS. 



61 



lialf the length of the hitter ; outer toe decidedly longer than inner ; hallux slightly longer than 

 the first phalanx of the middle toe ; bare portion of tibia as long as the outer toe ; tarsal scutella; 

 with a tendency to form transverse plates on the upper half, in front ; claws exceedingly short, 

 strongly cirrved, and blunt. Inner webs of two outer primaries emarginated near the end ; tail of 



If. violaceus. 



twelve broad, moderately hard feathers ; interscapular plumes greatly elongated (extending beyond 

 the tail), narrow, the plumula; threadlike and soft, and separated outwardly. Occipital plumes 

 linear, flattened, longer than the head and bill, when fully developed, half a dozen or more in 

 number, and graduated in length. 



Nyctherodius violaceus. 



THE WHITE-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. 



Ardea stellaris cristata amcricana, Cate.sby, Carolina, 1754, pi. 79 (adult). 



BUwrcmi, de Cayenne, Buff. PI. Enl. 1770-84, pi. 899 (adult). 



Ardca vioIcKca, LiXN. S. N. ed. 10, I. 1758, 143, no. 12 (exCatesby, I.e.) ; ed. 12, I. 1766, 2.38, no. 



16. _ WiLs. Am. Orn. VIII. 1814, 26, pi. 65. — Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 52. — Aud. Orn. Biog. 



IV. 1838, 290, pi. 336 ; Synop. 1839, 262; Birds Am. VI. 1843, 89, pi. 364 (adult and young). 

 Nydiardea violacca, Swains. Classif. B. II. 1837, 354. — Coites, Key, 1872, 269 ; Check List, 1873, 



no. 459. 

 Nyctherodius violaceus, Reichenb. Syst. Av. 1851, p. xvi. — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 679; Cat. 



:N'. Am. B. 1859, no. 496. — Ridgw. Nora. N. Am. B. ISSl, no. 496. — Coues, Check List, 2d 



ed. 1882, no. 665 {Xyctcrodius). 

 Cayenne Night Heron, Lath. Synop. III. 1785, 56 (quotes PI. Enl. 899). 

 Yelloiv-eroioned Night Heron, Latu. t.c. SO. 



Ardca caycnncnsis, Gmel. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 626, no. 31 (based on PI. Enl. 899). 

 Ardea sexsetacea, Vieill. Ene. Meth. III. 1823, 1130 (Reichenow). 

 Ardea callocephala, Wagl. Syst. Av. 1827, Ardea, sp. 34 (Reichenow). 



Hab. Warm-temperate Eastern North America, West Indies, Middle America, and Northern 

 South America, breeding north to Southern Illinois and Indiana. On Atlantic coast north to 

 Pennsylvania (rare). West to Colorado, south to Western Ecuador and the Amazonian region. 

 Bernmdas. 



