NYCTICORAX. 171 



a specimen in the Tweeddale Collection from Canton, the adult plumage 

 is assumed during the next breeding season, and even the white nape- 

 plumes are put on, but the coloring of the head and back is not so bright 

 as in older birds." (Sharpe.) 



The common night heron in abundant in parts of Luzon but is not so 

 widely distributed in the smaller islands as is the next species. 



142. NYCTICORAX MANILLENSIS Vigors. 

 PHILIPPINE NIGHT HERON. 



Nycticorax manillensis VIGORS, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1831), 98; SHARPE, Cat. 

 Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 162; Hand-List (1899), 1, 198; MC- 

 GREGOR and WORCESTER, Hand-List (1906), 34. 



Nycticorax manilensis GATES, Cat. Birds' Eggs ( 1902), 2, 125. 



Cuak-cuak, Bohol. 



Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (Everett); Bohol (McGregor); Caluya 

 (Porter) ; Camiguin N. (McGregor); Catanduanes ( Whitehead) ; Cebu (Everett, 

 Bourns & Worcester, McGregor) ; Leyte (Everett) ; Luzon (Lindsay, Cuming, 

 Whitehead) ; Marinduque (Steere Exp.) ; Masbate (Bourns & Worcester) ; Min- 

 danao (Platen, Steere Exp.) ; Mindoro (McGregor) ; Negros (Everett, Bourns 

 & Worcester, Keay) ; Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester) ; Samar (Bourns 

 & Worcester) ; Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester) ; Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & 

 Worcester, Celestino) ; Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). 

 Western Celebes and northern Borneo. 



Adult (sexes similar). Above deep maroon; crown and crest greenish 

 black; long nuchal plumes whitish except at base and tip; a narrow eye- 

 brow stripe light chestnut mixed with whitish ; below white, throat more 

 or less pervaded with chestnut; sides of face neck and breast chestnut; 

 under wing-coverts, axillars, and thighs light chestnut mixed with white. 

 Bill black; skin around eye dark green; legs yellow, nails black. "Bill 

 black; feet pale ocherous- white, brown in front and upper part of toes; 

 orbital skin yellowish green; iris golden yellow." (Everett.) 



Male. Length, 635; culmen, 70; wing, 317; tail, 117; tarsus, 79. 



Adult female. Similar to the male in color. Length, 559; culmen, 

 76; wing, 381; tail, 123; tarsus, 81. 



"Young. Wings conspicuously chestnut; spots and streaks on upper 

 surface deep rufous or light chestnut; breast very broadly streaked with 

 black. 'Bill brown, lower mandible dirty yellowish; legs light greenish 

 yellow, claws gray; iris golden yellow.' (Everett)" (Sharpe.) 



"Quite common, but very local in its habits. Feeds at night. Roosts 

 during the day in lofty trees, frequently choosing trees which stand out 

 in the open." (Bourns and Worcester MS.) 



Gates records two eggs of the Manila night heron which were collected 

 by the Steere Expedition in Siquijor, February 15, and two eggs taken 

 by Moseley in May. The measurements are respectively: 56.3 by 36.8; 

 49.7 by 36.3; 60.9 by 37.5; 50.8 by 33.7. 



