498 MR. O. SALVIN ON THE AVIFAUNA 
“This Heron cowers motionless and solitary in the daytime in dark shady places, 
either on cliffs or amongst the mangrove roots on the sea-shore, or else in a decaying 
tree ina swamp. ‘The neck and head being drawn in, the bird does not look half its 
real size. At night time its movements are livelier. It utters a kind of shrieking call. 
It is so tame that it may be caught by the hand or struck with a short stick. It is 
considered good eating by the inhabitants of the mainland, by whom it is called 
‘Quague.’ It feeds on crabs and other crustaceans.” —H. 
Genus Nycticorax. 
A genus of wide range, occurring in both continents of America, as well as in the Old 
World. The species found in the islands is most nearly related to the North-American 
N. violaceus. 
NYCTICORAX PAUPER. 
Nycticorax violaceus, Darwin, Zool. Voy. Beagle, ii. p. 128 (nec Linn.). 
Ardea violacea, Li. (var.), Sundey. P. Z. S. 1871, pp. 125, 127. 
Nyeticorax pauper, Scl. & Saly. P. Z. S. 1870, pp. 323, 327. 
Similis V. violaceo, sed omnino minor, et precipue in dorso multo obscurior: dorsi 
plumis elongatis, non, sicut in NV. violaceo, griseo marginatis, sed saturate cinereo-nigris 
unicoloribus: long. tot. 16, ale 2°2, caude 4, rostri a rictu 3:2, tarsi 3-3. 
Obs. Hujus Nycticoracis specimina duo tantum, quorum neutrum adultum, habemus, 
sed ad speciem Americ meridionalis vulgarem vix referenda esse censemus. 
Hab. Galapagos (Darwin, Sundevall); Indefatigable Island (Habel). 
“The two birds included under this name in my collection did not seem to me to 
belong to the same species. There is, however, little discrepancy in their colour, and 
none in their dimensions. It feeds on crabs. Both my specimens were obtained on 
Indefatigable Island; but I also saw it on Bindloe.”—H. 
Genus PH@NICOPTERUS. 
Flamingoes occur both in the Old and the New World. ‘Three species, including the 
following, are found in America. 
PHGNICOPTERUS RUBER. 
Phenicopterus ruber, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 230, 
Pheenicopterus glyphorhynchus, Gray, Ibis, 1869, p. 442, pl. xiv. f. 5. 
Having examined the type specimen of the species described by Mr. Gray as P. gly- 
phorhynchus, and also a specimen living in the Zoological Gardens, which appears to 
be undoubtedly P. ruber of N. America, as well as a mounted specimen in the British 
Museum doubtless belonging to the same species, I am unable to see any grounds for 
separating the Galapagos bird from P. ruber, though Gray places them in different 
subgenera! I may add that Gray did not recognize the British-Museum specimen as 
