39 2 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS: ZOOLOGY. 



Chiloe : Str. Magellan) ; Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1878, p. 436 pt. (Tom 



Harbour: Puerto Bueno) ; iid. Voy. Chall. II. Birds, p. 106 pt. (1880: 



Tom Harbour); Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 12 (Cockle Cove); Ridgw. 



Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. XII. p. 137 (1889 : Port Otway) ; Oust. Miss. 



Scient. Cap Horn, Oiseaux, p. 137 (1891); James, New List Chil. 



B. p. 8 (1892); Lane, Ibis, 1897, P- J 88 (central & southern Chili); 



Schalow, Zool. Jahrb. Suppl. IV. p. 679 pt. (1898: Coquimbo : Tantil 



Isl., Calbuco) ; Albert, Contr. Estud. Aves Chil. I. p. 303 (1899); 



Salvad. Ann. Mus. Genov. (2) XX. p. 626 (1900: Penguin Rookery: 



Porto Cook: Punta Arenas: Possession Bay). 



Ardea obscura, Schl. Mus. Pays Bas, Ardeae, p. 59 (1863: Str. Magellan). 

 Nyctiardea obscura, Gray, Handl. B. III. p. 33 no. 10176 (1871). 

 Nycticorax griseus, Albert (nee Linn.), Contr. Estud. Aves Chil. I. p. 299 



(1899). 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 



Size. Adult male, breeding plumage. (P. U. O. C. 7804. Near head- 

 waters of Rio Chico de Rio Santa Cruz, Patagonia, 28 February 1897,}. 

 B. Hatcher.) 



Total length, 27.0 inches. 



Wing: 13.3. 



Culmen, 3.2. 



Tail, 5.2. 



Tarsus, 3.5. 



The adult females average a little less in size than the adult males. 



Color. Adult male (cited), breeding plumage. The disposal of color 

 in this Night Heron is in pattern almost identical with N. tayazu-guira, but 

 every part is much darker, and only the chin is white, the rest of the ground 

 color being deep smoky brownish in tone. The dark interscapular area 

 is duller green black, as is the crown area. 



Head : Forehead and a line extending back over the eye deep smoky 

 brown, lightest just above the eye. Cap deep black with a tinge of dark 

 bluish green. Pendant occipital plume clear white and corded in appear- 

 ance ; generally of three feathers and about ten inches long. Sides of 

 face and head deep smoky brown. 



Neck: Uniform deep smoky brown, shading into dull white on the 

 chin. 



