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NYCTICORAX. NIGHT-HERON. 



The Night-Herons, of which Ardea Nycticorax, Ardea 

 caledoniea, and Ardea violacea of authors may be considered 

 as among the most characteristic species, are of a more 

 robust form than the Herons, or other genera of this family, 

 with the feet shorter, the neck thicker and less elongated, 

 and the bill stouter and shorter than in most of them. 

 Some of the species, however, indicate a transition to the 

 Herons and Bitterns. 



Bill scarcely longer than the head, stout, nearly straight, 

 compressed, tapering to a point ; upper mandible with the 

 dorsal line straight and decimate for two-thirds, then slightly 

 decurved, the ridge flattened or convex for a short space, 

 then narrowed, the nasal depression elongated-triangular, 

 with a groove extending to near the end, the sides convex, 

 the edges sharp, with a notch close to the tip, which is 

 acute ; lower mandible with the angle very long and very 

 narrow, the dorsal line direct or slightly ascending, the sides 

 concave and sloping outwards, the edges sharp and scutel- 

 late, the tip acuminate; gape-line slightly arched, com- 

 mencing behind the eye. 



Mouth rather wide and expansile ; upper mandible con- 

 siderably concave, with three longitudinal ridges, the lower 

 deeply concave. Tongue of moderate length, emarginate at 

 the base, trigonal, flat above, tapering to a point. (Esophagus 

 very wide in its whole length ; proventriculus dilated. 

 Stomach roundish, compressed, thin, with a small roundish 

 pyloric lobe. Intestine long and very slender ; rectum with 

 an oblong coecum ; cloaca globular. 



Nostrils linear in the lower and fore part of the nasal 

 membrane. Eyes large. Aperture of ear rather small, 

 roundish. 



