678 U, S p. E. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



NYCTIARDEA, Swaiuson. 



JVyctiardea, Swainson, Classif. Birds, II, 1837, 354. Type ..irdea nyclicorax, Lin. 



J^yclicorax, Stepheks, Shaw's Gen. Zool. XI, xi, 1819, 608. Same type. Not of Moehring, 1752. 



Ch. — Bill very stout ; culmen curved from base; the lower outline straight, or a little concave. End of upper mandible gently 

 decurved. Tarsi short, equal to the middle toe ; the scales more than usually liexagonal inferiorly. Outer lateral toe rather 

 longer. No unusual development of feathers, e.\cepting a long, straight occipital plume of three feathers, rolled together. Neck 

 short ; moderately feathered behind. 



The night herons, with a certain resemblance to the bittern, differ in the much stouter and 

 more curved bill, the lower edge of which is straight, instead of rising at the end. The tarsus 

 is equal to the middle toe, not shorter, and is covered anteriorly below by small hexagonal 

 scales, instead of large transverse scutellae. The claws are much shorter and more curved. 

 The tail has twelve feathers instead of ten. 



NYCTIARDEA GARDENI, Baird. 



Night Herou. 



Ardea natvia, Boddaert, Tabl. pi. enl. 939, 1784. Young. (Gray.) 



Ardea gardeni, Gmelin, I, 1788, 644. 



JVycticorax gardeni, " Jard." Bonap. Consp. II, 1855, 141. — Gundl. Cab. Jour. IV, 1856, 346. 



Ardea nyclicorax, Wilson, Am. Orn. VII, 1813, 101 ; pi. Ixi.— Bon. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 193.— Add. Cm. Biog. 



Ill, 1835, 275 : V, 600 ; pi. 236.— Ib. Syn. 261.— Ib. Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 82 ; pi. 363. 

 Ardea (Botuurus) nyclicorax, Bonap. Specchio Comp. 1827, No. 176. — In. Syn. 1828,306. 

 Ardea (Botanrus) discors, Ndtt. Man. II, 1834, 54. 

 Jfycticorax americanus, Bonap. List, 1838. — Tschudi, Fauna Per. — Gosse, Birds Jam. 1847, 344. 



Sr. Ch. — Head above and middle of back steel green. Wings and tail ashy blue. Under parts, forehead, and long occipital 

 feathers white. Sides tinged with lilac. Length, about 25 inches ; wing, 12. .50 ; tarsus, 3.15 ; bill above, 3.10. 

 Hab. — United States generally. 



Bill very thick at the base, and tapering all the way to the tip. Culmen nearly straight for 

 half its length, then considerably curved. Lower outline of bill nearly straight. Gonys proper 

 slightly concave. Legs short, but stout. The tarsus equal to the middle toe ; covered throughout 

 with hexagonal scales, the anterior largest, but those on the up[)er portion much larger, and 

 going entirely across. Tibia bare for about one-fifth. Lateral toes nearly equal ; the outer 

 rather longest. Claws small ; considerably curved. Tail short, of twelve broad, rather stiff 

 feathers. 



Head with the occipital feathers elongated, and with two or three very long, straight feathers 

 (as long as the bill and head) springing from the occiput. These arc rolled up so as to appear 

 like a single cylindrical feather. Back of the neck covered witli down, but not provided with 

 long feathers. Interscapular feathers and scapulars elongated and lanceolate, the webs scarcely 

 decom loosed. 



The upper part of the head, including the upper eyelids, the occipital crest, and the inter- 

 scapular region and scapulars, dark lustrous steel green. Tlie wings and tail are ashy blue. 

 The under parts, the forehead, and the long occipital feathers are white, passing into pale ashy 

 lilac on the sides and on the neck above ; this color, in fact, tinging nearly the whole under 

 parts. The region along the base of the bill, however, is nearly pure, as are the tibia. The 

 bill is black ; the loral space green ; the iris red ; the feet yellow ; the claws brown. 



