390 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS: ZOOLOGY. 



(generally three) distinct feathers, which are closely held together by their 

 filaments coalescing. The sides of the face and head are grey, which shades 

 into white as it approaches the throat and chin. 



Neck : Light grey above and on the sides shading into lighter, almost 

 white beneath and becoming white on the upper throat and chin. 



Back : Interscapular region and upper scapulars dark greenish black, 

 contrasted and defined abruptly by the lower scapulars, which are a sort 

 of ashy grey or dove color. Lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts 

 light ashy grey. 



Wings : Ashy grey or dove color throughout. 



Lower surface shaded with light grey except on the chin, throat and 

 lower abdomen and vent, where the pale grey shades into pure white. 



Bill: "Upper mandible and tip of lower one black, the remainder of 

 lower mandible yellowish green " (H. Durnford). 



Feet: "Light pea green, underside with a tinge of yellow" (H. 

 Durnford). 



Iris: "Dull crimson" (H. Durnford). 



Presumably the colors, not only of the bill and naked skin about the 

 eye, but of the iris itself, change much at the different seasons of the year 

 and with age. At least this is the case with the close ally of this night- 

 heron Nycticorax nycticorax. 



Adult birds in winter lack the corded plume of the occiput and the grey 

 colors are generally much deeper. All the bare parts about the face, the 

 bill, feet and legs are more subdued in color than in the summer. 



Geographical Range. — South America, from Peru and Brazil south- 

 ward, to Patagonia, Chili and the Falkland Islands. The distribution of 

 the bird in the more southern part of its range seems to coincide with the 

 eastern coast of South America ; it appears to be rare or casual on the 

 southern portion of the western coast. 



The South American Night Heron was not obtained by the naturalists 

 of the Princeton Expeditions. It has been recorded at many points 

 throughout Patagonia, but there seems to be little doubt that it is casual 

 or rare on the Straits of Magellan and in the adjacent region. About 

 Buenos Aires and in the interior of Patagonia the birds are common ; 

 but careful examination fails to disclose satisfactory records of the 



