4 ALTRICIAL GRALLATORES — IIERODIONES. 



8. [Syrigma.] Size mediuiii. Adult with several elongated, narrow, compact-webbed, round- 



tipped, somewhat rigid and slightly recurved plumes on lower part of occiput. Jugular 

 feathers soft, broad, blended. No scapular plumes. Culmeii about ec^ual to middle toe. 

 Color much variegated, the tail and lower parts white. 



9. [Pilherodius.] Size medium. Orbits and anterior part of malar region naked. Occiput 



with two extremely elongated linear, compact-webbed plumes. Jugular plumes broad, 

 blended. No scapular plumes. Color white, the crown and occiput black. Middle toe 

 shorter than culmen ; culmen shorter than tarsus. 



10. Nycticorax. Size medium. Adult with several e.xtremely elongated linear, compact- 



webbed occipital plumes. No scapular plumes. Jugular feathers broad, blended. Cul- 

 men about equal to tarsus ; tarsus slightly longer than middle toe. Lateral outlines of 

 bill concave ; gonys nearly straight. Adult and young exceedingly different in plumage. 



11. Nyctherodius. Size medium. Adult with several extremely elongated linear, compact- 



webbed occipital plumes. Scapular plumes elongated, narrow, round-tipped, the webs 

 somewhat decomposed. Jugular feathers broad, blended. Culmen much shorter than 

 tarsus (a little longer than middle toe) ; tarsus much longer than middle toe. Color 

 much variegated. Lateral outlines of the bill straight ; gonys very convex. Adult and 

 young exceedingly different in plumage. 



^. Malar region entirely naked. Bill longer than tarsus and middle toe. 



12. [Agamia.] Size medium. Bill extremely elongated, narrow, and compressed. Adidt 



with greatly elongated, broadly lanceolate, acute occipital plumes ; lower back with simi- 

 lar, but more loosely webbed, plumes overhanging rump. Sides of neck with recurved, 

 sickle-shaped, narrow, and acute plumes. Jugular feathers broad, blended. Tarsus nearly 

 twice middle toe. 

 b. Pectoral and inguinal lyowder-doivn tracts united, into a continuous strip. 



13. [Tigrisoma.] Malar region and throat naked, the latter with or without a medial feath- 



ered strip. Tarsus with hexagonal scutellce in front. Outer toe longer than inner ; claws 

 short, strongly curved. Plumage much variegated ; feathers of neck loose, " flufty." 



B. Eectrices ten. Tibia; with the lower portion completely feathered. Pectoral and hujuinal poxoder- 

 down tracts widely separated. Malar region completely feathered. 



14. [Zebrilus.] Size very small (among the smallest of Herons). Plumage exceedingly lax 



and " fluffy." Bill and feet very small. Culmen about equal to tarsus, both longer than 

 middle toe ; outer toe longest. Plumage dull, with transverse undulations of dusky and 

 light fulvous. 



^o' 



h. Sub-family BOTAURIN/E. — Tiik Bitterns. 



15. Botaurus. Size medium, or rather large. Sexes similar ; young similar to adult. 



16. Ardetta. Size extremely small (the smallest of Herons). Sexes dissimilar (in all 



species ?) ; young slightly different from adult. 



Genus ARDEA, Linn^us. 



Ardea, LiNX. S. N. I. 1735; cd. 12, I. 1766, 23-3 (type, A. cincrca, LiNN.). 

 Auduhonia, Bonap. Consp. II. 1855, 113 (type, Ardea occidcntalis, Aud.). 



Char. Herons of largest size (of Stork-like stature), the adults distinguished by lengthened, 

 narrowly-lanceolate, acute jugular and scapular plumes (the former rather rigid, the latter over- 

 hanging the wings and rump) ; a tuft of Itroad feathers on each side the breast (having a different 

 color from adjacent parts), and, m the breeding season, by the presence of two or three extremely 

 lengthened, narrow, pendant, occipital plumes. 



Culmen almost straight ; gonys ascending, more or less convex, about equal in length to the man- 

 dibular rami ; upper and lower outlines of the bill parallel for the basal half. Mental apex anterior 

 to half-way between point of bill and anterior angle of the eye ; frontal apex a little posterior to 



