133* BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



There are two strongly marked subgenera, which may be dis- 

 i Lnguished as Follows : 



a\ Culmen about as long as the tarsus; gonys nearly straight, and lateral outlines of the 

 bill slightly concave; tarsus but little longer than middle toe; scapulars normal (i.e. 

 broad and blended.) Nycticorax. 



a?. Culmen much shorter than tarsus (only a little longer than middle toe); gonys convex, 

 and lateral outlinos of bill straight, or sometimes even perceptibly convex; tarsus 

 much longer (ban middle toe; scapulars elongated, narrow (but not pointed), some- 

 what looso-webbed Nyotanassa. 



Subgenus Nycticorax Stephens. 



Nycticorax Stephens. Shaw's Gen. Zool. xi, 1819, 608. Type, Ardea ny oticor ax "LISTS , 

 Nyotiardea Swains. Classif. I'., ii. 1837, :i5l. Same type. 



Subgen. Char. Modium-sizod Eorons of very short thick build, large/thick. heads, and 

 short tarsi. The plumage exceedingly different In tho adult and young, but the sexes sim- 

 ilar. Adults with two or three exceedingly long, thread-like, white occipital plumes. 



Bill very stout, the depth through the base being more than one fourth the culmen; 

 tho latter nearly straight for the basal two thirds, then gently curved to the tip; lower odge 

 of the mandibular rami nearly straight; gonys nearly straight, very slightly ascending; 

 maxillary tomium decidedly oonoave, with a very convex outline .just forward of the rictus. 

 Mental apex reaching more than half-way from the centre of the eye to tho point of the bill, 

 and to beyond I he anterior- end of the nostril; malar apex falling a little short of the frontal 



apex. Tarsi a little longer than the middle toe, Its scutella hexagonal in front; lateral 

 toes nearly equal, but the outer the longer; hallux less than half the middle toe ; baro 

 portion of tibia shorter than the hallux. Inner webs of two outer primaries distinctly 

 emarginated near the end. Tail of twelve broad, moderately hard, feathers, as in the typ- 

 ical herons. 



Nycticorax nycticorax naevius (Bodd.) 



BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. 



Popular synonyms. Arae -ioan Black-crowned Night Heron; Quok; Quawk; Quak; Qua 

 Bird; Inanito pinto elote (Mexico). 



A rdea ncevia Bodd. Tabl. P. E. 1783, 5G (ex PL Enl. 939). 



Nyotiardea arisen var. ncevia Allen. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. iii, 1872, 182.— Coues, 



Key,1872, 269; Check List, 1873, No. 158; B. N. W. 1874, 523. 

 Nyotiardea arisen ji na via Ridgw. Orn. 40th Par. 1877. 

 Nyotiardea arisen ncevia Rtdgw. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 495.— Coues, 2d Chock 



List, 1882, No. 664. 

 Nycticorax gri sens ncevius B. B. &R. Water B. N. Am. i, 1884,55. 

 Nycticorax nycticorax ncevius Zeled. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. viii, 1885, 113.— A. O. U. 

 Check List, 1886. No. 202.-Ridgw. Man. N. Am. B. 1887,133. 

 Ardea hoactle Gmel. S. N. i, pt. ii,1788. 630. 

 Ardea cana Gmel. t. c. 643. 



Ardea aardeni Gmel. t. c. 615 (based on Gardenian Night Heron of Pennant and 

 Latham). 

 Nyctiardea aardeni Baibd, B. N. Am. 1858, 678; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 495. 

 Ardea discolor Nutt. Man. ii, 1831,64. 



