666 REPOBT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



35. GENUS NYCTICORAX STEPHENS. 



a 1 . Bill about as long as tarsus? gonys nearly straight. Subgenus NYCTJCORAX. 



N. nycticorax nsevius (Bodd.). 72 

 a 2 . Bill much shorter than tarsus; gonys convex. 



Subgenus NYCTINA^SA Stejneger. N. violaceus (Linn.). 73 



.Subgenus NYCTICOPAX. 



*72. (202). 'Nycticorax nycticorax naevius (BODD.). 



Black-crowned Night Heron. 

 Synonyms, .QUAWK, SQUAWK, QUA-BIRD. 



Adult. Crown, scapulars and interscapulars, very dark glossy- 

 green; general plumage, bluishrgray, more or less tinged with lilac; 

 forehead, throat line and most under parts, whitish; two or three oc- 

 cipital plumes about 8.00 long, white; bill, black; lores, .greenish; 

 eyes, red; feet, yellow. Young. 'Very different, lacking the plumes; 

 grayish-brown; paler below, extensively speckled with white; quills, 

 chocolate-brown, white-tipped. 



Length,. about 23.00-26.00; wing, 11.00-12:80; bill, 2.80-3.10; tarsus, 

 3.10-3.40. 



KANGE. America, Falkland Islands and Chili north to Manitoba 

 and Ontario. Breeds north to limit of its range. Winters from Gulf 

 States south. 



Nest, of sticks, usually in trees; sometimes in colonies. Eggs, 4-6; 

 pale greenish-blue; 2.01 by 1.47. 



Eegular migrant and summer resident. Breeds locally in north- 

 ern part of the State in some numbers, in colonies, by. themselves or 

 with other herons. 



They arrive in the spring about the time of the last species. The 

 earliest date I have comes from its breeding ground, Liverpool, Ind., 

 April 10, 1897 (Parker). This indicates that some, at least, pro- 

 ceed straight to their heronries and others follow along more leisurely. 

 The following dates give the time of its first appearance in Indiana 

 for a number of years: Carroll County, April 30, 1878 (Evermann); 

 Brookville, April 28, 1883; Marion County, April 18, 1884 (Noe); 

 Brookville, May 6, 1885; English Lake, May 6, 1888 (Deane); Dekalb 

 County, April 29, 1893 (Mrs. Hine); Greensburg, April 14, 1894 

 (Shannon). 



The migration is over early in May, and by the latter part of that 

 month nests can be found, altho'ugh some of them continue building 

 well into June. There is a heronry where they breed at English Lake. 

 (Deane.) Two nests were found there May 25 and 26, 1889, and June 



