680 U. 8. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
Bill very short and stout; not longer than the head. Culmen gently curved from the base ; 
most so towards the tip; lower outline of bill straight to the culmen, then ascending in a gentle 
convexity, a little straighter than the culmen, but the two mandibles tapering about equally. 
Legs rather long ; the tarsus one and a quarter time the length of middle toe, covered with 
hexagonal scutellae, which in front and above are larger, and cover the anterior face. The 
tibia are bare for about one-third their length. The outer toe is rather longest; the claws all 
short, small, and much curved. The occipital feathers are elongated, and there are two linear 
lanceolate ones about as long as the head and body, but these are not rolled together. The back 
of the neck is thinly covered with normal feathers. The interscapular feathers are rather 
elongated and lanceolate; the scapulars are much developed, linear, lanceolate; the tips 
rounded, and reaching to the end of the tail; the pennules decomposed for the terminal half. 
The tail is composed of twelve broad, rather stiff feathers. 
The external form of this species is a good deal like that of Nyctiardea gardeni. The bill, 
however, is much thicker and shorter ; the commissure is straight, instead of concave with the 
end of upper mandible attenuated ; the gonys is ascending and convex, instead of horizontal 
and slightly concave ; the tips of both mandibles nearly equally pointed and tapering. The 
tarsi are much longer and the toes shorter, so that the former are much longer than the middle 
toe, instead of shorter ; the claws are much smaller and more curved; the tibia bare for a 
greater distance ; the reticulation of the lower part of the tarsus is more hexagonal and smaller. 
The scapular feathers are much more elongated. 
The prevailing color ot this species is a grayish plumbeous. The head all round is bluish 
‘black ; the top of the head from the bill, including the longest occipital feathers, and a broad 
isolated patch from beneath the middle of the eye, yellowish white. The feathers of the inter- 
scapular region coverts and scapulars are dusky, edged with grayish plumbeous ; the quills and 
tail plumbeous dusky. The body generally and neck are uniform grayish plumbeous, lighter 
below. The bill is black ; the legs yellow above, the lower portion black. 
The young are dark greenish olivaceous above, the feathers streaked centrally, and spotted 
terminally with brownish yellow. The under parts are whitish, streaked with brown. The 
feathers of the head have the shafts extended into a whitish thread. The whitish of the neck 
is strongly tinged with brownish yellow. 
The young bird is readily distinguished from that of NVyctiardea gardent by the dark greenish 
olive back, with numerous spots; plumbeous, not chocolate colored, quills; better defined streaks 
below, and, above all, by the generic differences in the bill and feet. 
List of specimens. 
Catal.| Sex. | Locality. When | Whence obtained. | Orig’!} Collected | Length. Stretch | Wing. Remarks. 
No. collected. No. by— of wings.| 
—— —-- — =——= eS 
3041 | @ | Liberty co., Ga..... IGAG Seeseieese) SE Baird eesqaese|sarees|seeeee sleses| coos ss 0300s) ceiath onsi| Sav eoawencNato case Recceee metas 
AQGS tess Oalcasieu Pass, La..| 1854......... G. Wiirdemann....|occccs|.sccecececs| cocrece sale NSeiaS vs cole Tell Ree en eee escencccce 
OLODAletesten Indianola........0+ Mar. 23,1855 | Capt. Pope ....eee OU sen aseleseeies 28.00 | 38.00) 12.50 | Eyesred; feet dark gray yellow ; 
bill dark green and yellow, 
SSO0r eeaes Fort Brown, Texus.|..cecevesesees Capts Van lictradatse sees |lacieciccseinnee 23.00 | 40.50] 10.00 |...... Onemeen ee (dO) atciclomatesietete 
4147 |..... Matamoras .eceesee|ecceeveccecess | Lieut. Couch ....ccloccccs|sececccccccclsccsccccleccccoce | ceaiee calliesseasiwace sclueettiwererpeeeemes 
9481 | ...00. Rio Grande, Texas.| Oct. 13,1853 | Major Emory......|...... A Schott a]. ccecicce|cccscecc|occcincce |enccecosctercesvinavsiacicess sce 
9482 |...... ROrt Smith ssevaiee eel soees veers | Lieut. Whipple ....|...e+ H. Miull- 
NAUSEN <-|wcle‘ajesss| sel sence Vocie stewie lo cnsiielesolesisls(edeent[nsccos tenet 
1782 | eswes South America.....|secseesecsoese BeB. Baird... cccccelecccvelocecicccccccelececivscefocccioess|eceeccci|euvecess tece bere cecutestecesienss 
