AVES ARDEID^. 



391 



species in the extreme southern portion of the province or on the Straits 

 of Magellan. The allied form N. cyanocephalus prevails in that part of 

 the country, as will presently be seen, and seems to have been mistaken 

 by observers for the bird now under consideration. 



There are four specimens of this bird in the collections of the University 

 Museum at Princeton, all taken in the province of Buenos Aires ; these 

 together with the abundant material in the British Museum have formed a 

 basis for the descriptions and generalizations given here. 



The habits of this Night Heron as observed and recorded do not seem 

 to differ materially from those of its near ally, Nycticorax nycticorax. 



Nycticorax cyanocephalus (Molina). 



Ardea cyanocephala, Molina, Saggio St. Nat. Chil. p. 260 (1786) ; Vieill. 



N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. XIV. p. 411 (1817). 

 Ardea nycticorax, Kittl. (nee Linn.), Kupf Vog. pt. 3, p. 26, Taf 35, fig. 



I (1833: Chili). 

 Nycticorax aniericanus, Gould (nee Bonap.), Voy. Beagle, Birds, p. 128 



(184 1 : Valparaiso). 

 Nycticorax cyanocephalus, Fraser, P. Z. S. 1843, P- 116 (Chili); Sharpe, 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXVI. p. 156 (1898); id. Hand-list B. I. p. 198 



(1899); Martens, Vog. Hamb. Magalh. Sammelr. p. 21 (1900). 

 Nycticorax gardeiii, Gray (nee Gm.), List B. Brit. Mus. Part III. p. 85 



pt. (1844); Hartl. Naum. 1853, p. 222 (Valdivia). 

 Nycticorax ncevius, Gray (nee Gm.), Gen. B. III. p. 558 pt. (1847) ; Des 



Murs in Gay's Hist. Chil. Zool. I. p. 412 pt. (1847). 

 Nycticorax obscttrus, Licht. Nomencl. Av. Mus. Berol. p. 90 (1854: 



Chili) ; Bonap. Consp. Av. II. p. 141 pt. (1855 : Chili); Pelz. Reise 



Novara, Vog. p. 118 (1865: Chili); Scl. P. Z. S. 1867, pp. 334, 



339 (Chili) ; id. & Salv. Ibis, 1868, p. 189 (Oazy Harbour, Str. 



Magellan); Cunn. Nat. Hist. Str. Magell. pp. 181, 298, 350 (1871 : 



