AVES ARDEID/e. 



391 



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

 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 ( 1 786) ; 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 americanus, Gould (nee Bonap.), Voy. Beagle, Birds, p. 128 



(1841 : 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 gardetii, Gray (nee Gm.), List B. Brit Mus. Part III. p. 85 



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

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



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

 Nycticorax obscurus, 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 : 



