Cory on the Birds of the West Indies. 249 



Ardea cyafiirostris* Cory, Bds. Bahama I. p. i68 (1880). — Allkn, Bull. Nutt. 



Orn. VII, p. 21 (1881). — Cory, List Bds. W. I. p. 28 (1885). 

 Ardea tricolor ruficollis CoRY, Auk, III, p. 502 (1886). 



Common in the Bahama Islands and Greater Antilles (breeds). 

 Gexus Nycticorax Steph. 

 Nycticorax Stephens, Gen. Zool. XI, p. 608, 1819. 



Nycticorax violaceus (Linn.). 



Ardea violacea Linn. Syst. Nat. I, p. 238 (1766); Sundev. Oefv. K. 

 Vet. Akad. For. 1869, p. 589 (St. Bartholomew) ; ib, p. 603 (Porto 

 Rico). 



Nycticorax violacea D'Orb. in La Sagra's Hist. Nat. Cuba, Ois. p. 213 

 (1S40). 



Nycticorax violaceus Bryant, Pr. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. VII, p. 120 (1859) 

 (Bahamas) ; ib. Brewer, p. 308 '(i860) (Cuba).— Scl. P. Z. S. 1861, 

 pp. 70, 81 (Jamaica). — Albreciit. J. f. O. 1S62, p. 206 (Jamaica). — 

 Scl. p. Z. S. 1871, p. 273 (Santa Lucia).— A. &E. Newton, Handb. 

 Jamaica, p. iii (i8Si). — Cory, Auk, III, p. 502 (1S86) (Grand 

 Cayman). 



Nyctherodius violaceus A. & E. Newton, Ibis, 1859, P- -62 (St. Croix). — 

 Cassin, Pr. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1S60, p. 379 (St. Thomas) ; ib. 

 March, 1864, p. 65 (Jamaica). — Gundl. Repert. Fisico-Nat. Cuba, 

 I, p. 351 (1866).— Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. VIII, p. 98 (1S67) (Som- 

 brero).— Gundl. J. f. O. 1875, p. 311 (Cuba); ib. Anal. Soc. Esp. 

 Hist. Nat. VII, p. 363 (1878) (Porto Rico).— Wells, List Bds. 

 Grenada, p. 9 (1S86). 



Nyctiardea violacea Lawr. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. I, p. 275 (187S) (Grenada) ; 

 ib. p. 460 (Guadeloupe). — Allen, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, V, p. 169 

 (18S0) (Santa Lucia). — Cory, Bds. Bahama I. p. 173 (iSSo) ; ib- 

 List Bds. W. I. p. 28 (1885). 



Common in many portions of the West Indies. It has been re- 

 corded from the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Porto Rico, Grenada, 

 Guadeloupe, Santa Lucia, St. Thomas, St. Bartholomew, Som- 

 brero, St. Croix, and Grand Cayman. 



* In originally naming A. cyanirostris I considered it distinct from A. ruficollis, 

 from the totally different coloration of the bill and legs supposed to occur only in 

 the breeding season. Since that time specimens have been taken in the winter 

 months representing this same state of plumage. A. tricolor undoubtedly assumes 

 a yellow bill during most of the year, even if Audubon was wrong in his state- 

 ment to the effect that it had a yellow bill in the breeding season. It is probable 

 that the two birds are identical, but it is also possible that the Bahama bird may 

 be distinct, and colonies occasionally wander to P'lorida, where it has been found 

 breeding. This would account for the blue-billed specimens being taken in 

 Florida, and would not prove its specific identity with ./. tricolor. 



