1(). NYCTICORAX. 1')! 



Nycticorax nycticorax naevius, Zeledon, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mux. viii. 

 p. 113 (1885: Costa Kica) ; Ferrari-Perez, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 

 ix. p. 170 (188ti: I'uebla; Vera Cruz; Jalapa) ; Everin. Auk, iii. 

 p. 91 (1886: Veutura Co., Cal.) ; Seton, t. c. p. 150 (Manitoba, 

 summer) ; Smith, t. c. p. 285 (Fort Collins, Color.) ; Fo.v, t. c. 

 p. 319 (Tennessee) ; Scott, t. a. p. 385 (Santa Cruz, Ariz.) ; A.O.U. 

 Check-l. N. Amer. B. p. 138 (1886) ; Scott, Auk, iv. pp. 136, 281 

 (1887: Gulf Coast of Florida) ; Chamberlain, t. c. p. 264 (St. 

 John's, New Brunswick, Jan.); Ri(l(/w. Man. N. Amer. B. p. 133 

 (18S7); Stejn. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. x. p. 84 (1887: Kauai; 

 Hawaii), xi. p. 102 (1888); Richmond, Auk, v. p. 20 (1888: 

 District Columbia) ; Cory, t. c. p. 49 (Greater Antilles) ; Men-ill, 

 t. c. p. 144 (Fort Klamath, breeding:) ; Chapm. t. c. p. 269 (Gain.s- 

 ^ille, Florida); Kumlien, t. c. p. 328 (Wisconsin); Everyn. t. c. 

 p. 348 (Indiana) ; Scott, Auk, vi. p. 18 ( 1889 : Florida) ; Cory, B. 

 West Indies, p. 250 (1889) ; Thompson, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xiii. 

 p. 491 (1890 : :\[anitoba) ; Meurns, Auk, vii. p. 51 (1890 : Mormon 

 Lake, Ariz.) ; Scott, t. c. p. 308 (Dry Tortu^as) ; Shick, t. c. p. 327 

 (New Jersey, breedinir) ; Northrop, Auk, viii. pp. 66, 78 (1891 : 

 Andros Isl.) ; Brewst. 4" Chapm. t. c. p. 137 (Suwanee River) ; 

 RidffW. 1. c. p. 335 (Abaco, Bahamas) ; Scott, Auk, ix. p. 10 

 (1892 : Jamaica) ; Later, t. c. p. 42 (Grav's Harbour) ; Scott, t. c. 

 p. 212 (Caloosahatchie Eegion, Florida) ; Attioater, t. c. p. 232 

 (San Antonio, Texas). 



Adult male in hreeding-phnnage. Black above, glossed ■with dark 

 green, and with a slight shade of slaty grey on the mantle ; upper 

 scapulars like the back, the lower ones light ashy grey ; wings 

 entirely light ashy grey or dove-colonr, with a slight shade of dull 

 oily-green on the secondaries ; lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, 

 and tail clear grey or dove-colour ; head crested, black, with a dark 

 green gloss, and having two long nuchal white plumes ; base of 

 forehead white, extending above the eye to behind the latter ; 

 feathers below the eye, cheeks, throat, and underparts pure white ; 

 ear-coverts and sides of neck delicate isabelline-grey, extending 

 in a collar round the hind-neck, and also to the sides of the body ; 

 thighs and under tail-coverts white ; under wing-coverts and axil- 

 laries very pale ashy. Total length about IS inches, culmeu 3, 

 wing 10-5, tail 4, tarsus 2-8. 



Adult female in hreeding-phimage. Similar to the male in colour, 

 and having the same long white plumes on the nape : " upper 

 mandible slaty-black with a whitish streak near the edges, central 

 portion of lower mandible flesh-colour, greenish towards the base ; 

 skin round the eye pale green ; tarsi and feet pale yellow ; ins 

 crimson " {T. Ayres). 



Adults in ivinter plumage. Similar to the breeding-plumage, but 

 much greener on the head and back, and not having the drooping 

 white plumes on the nape. 



Young. Brown above, varied with longitudinal triangular centres 

 of rufous or butt" to the feathers of the back and Ming-coverts ; the 

 quills and tail-feathers tipped with white ; the head blackish, the 

 crest-feathers centred with rufous ; sides of face and under surface 

 of body fulvescent, streaked Avith dusky black, with which the 

 feathers are margined ; the thighs streaked like the sides of the 



