ARDEID.'E — THE HERONS — NYCTHERODIUS. 



61 



half the len,t,'th of the hitter : outer toe decidedly longer tliau inner ; hallux sh;^'litly longer than 

 the first phalanx of the niiddh- toe ; hare portion of tibia as long as the outer toe ; tarsal seutellai 

 with a tendency to form transverse plates on the upper half, in front ; claws exceedingly short, 

 strongly curved, and blunt. Inner webs of two outer primaries enuirginated near the end ; tail of 







N. violaceus. 



twelve broad, moderately hard feathers ; interscapular plumes greatly elongated (extending beyond 

 the tail), narrow, the plumula; threadlike and soft, and separated outwardly. Occipital plumes 

 linear, flattened, longer than the head and bill, when fully developed, half a dozen or more in 

 number, and graduated in length. 



Nyctherodius violaceus. 



THE WHITE-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. 



Ardca stellaris cristaia (tuicrkinvi, C.^tesby, Carolina, 1754, jil. 79 (adult). 



Bihorcau, dc Cayenne, Buff. I'l. Enl. 1770-84, pi. 899 (adult). 



Ardm viuhieea, Lixx. S. N. ed. 10, I. 1758, 143, no. 12 (cxCatesb.v, I.e.) ; cd. 12, I. 1766, 238, no. 



16. — AViLs. Am. Orn. VIII. 1814, 26, pi. 65. — Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 52. — AuD. Orn. Biog. 



IV. 1838, 290, pi. 336 ; Synop. 1839, 262 ; Birds Am. VI. 1843, 89, pi. 364 (adult and yomig). 

 Nydiardea violacea. Swains. Classif. B. II. 1837, 354. — Cofe.s, Key, 1872, 269 ; Check List, 1873, 



no. 459. 

 NyclJicrodius violaceus, Reichenb. Syst. Av. 1851, p. xvi. — B.\ird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 679; Cat. 



N. Am. B. 1859, no. 496. — Kidgw. Nora. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 496. — CouES, Check List, 2d 



ed. 1882, no. 665 (Xycfcrodius). 

 Caycmie Night Heron, Lath. Synop. III. 1785, 56 (quotes PI. Enl. 899). 

 Yelloxo-crowncd Nifjlit Heron, L.4TH. t.c. SO. 



Ardca caymnams, Gmel. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 626, no. 31 (based on PI. Enl. 899). 

 Ardea sexiieta4:ea, \1E1LL. Enc. Meth. III. 1823, 1130 (Eeichenow). 

 Ardca calloce.phala, Wagl. Syst. Av. 1827, Ardca, s]i. 34 (Reichenow). 



Hae. Warm-temperate Eastern North America, West Indies, Middle America, and Northern 

 South America, breeding north to Southern Illinois and Indiana. On Atlantic coast north to 

 Pennsylvania (rare). West to Colorado, .south to Western Ecuador and the Amazonian region. 

 Bermudas. 



