VOL. 



£"■] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 137 



44. Zonibyx modesta (Licht.). 

 Port Otway, one specimen. 



The siugle specimen obtained appears to be the true modesta and not 

 the Chilian form, distinguished by Mr. Seebohm (Geog. Distr. Chara- 

 driidse, p. 106) as Charadrius modestus rubecola (ex Charadrius rubecola 

 Vig., Zool. Jour., iv, 1829, p. 96). 



Family SCOLOPACID^F. 



45. Gallinago paraguayae (Vieill.). 



Gregory Bay and Laredo Bay, two specimens. 



46. Tringa fuscicollis Vieill. 

 Gregory Bay, one specimen. 



47. Totanus flavipes (Gmel.). 

 Gregory Bay, one specimen. 



Family RALLID^. 



48. Fulica leucoptera Vieill. 



Sandy Point, one specimen; certainly referable to this species rather 

 than to F. leucopyga Licht. 



Family ARDEID^E. 



49. Nycticorax obscurus Bonap. 

 Port Otway, two specimens. 



In the " Water Birds of North America" (vol. i, p. 56), I have ex- 

 pressed my inability to distinguish satisfactorily this form from the or- 

 dinary American bird (N. nycticorax tucvius); but the specimens ob- 

 tained by the naturalists of the Albatross show that the examples (eight 

 in number), on which that statement was based, were not the true or 

 typical N. obscurus, as was supposed. 



Neither of the two Albatross specimens is adult, though one is very 

 nearly so. This one (No. 116282, obtained February 10) is wholly of a 

 dark sooty color, approaching black on the head and neck, and the 

 back glossed with greenish bronze. The under surface of the body is 

 nearly as dark as the upper, but rather more brownish in hue. The 

 younger specimen (No. 116283, 9 , same date) is essentially similar in 

 color except that the throat, fore neck, under parts, back, scapulars, 

 and wing coverts are narrowly streaked with buff, these streaks broadest 

 on the under surface of the body. 



Without having seen adult specimens, I can not, of course, express a 

 decided opinion as to whether the present bird should rauk as a 

 species or subspecies; but, considering the marked individual varia- 

 tion in color among the eight examples examined when the remarks 

 above referred to were written, I am at present inclined to the belief that 

 the true JV. obscurus is simply an extreme variation, or melanism, of the 

 same form as the lighter colored birds from Chili and other parts of 

 southern South America. 



