498 MH. O. SALVIN ON THE AVIFATJNA 



" 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 in a 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 Nycticoeax. 

 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 

 iV^. violaceus. 



Nycticoeax paupee. 

 Nycticorax violaceus, Darwin, Zool. Voy. Beagle, iii. p. 128 (nee Linn.). 

 Ardea violacea, L. (var.), Sundev. P. Z. S. 1871, pp. 125, 127. 

 Nycticorax pauper, Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1870, pp. 323, 327. 



Similis N. violaceo, sed omnino minor, et prsecipue in dorso multo obscurior : dorsi 

 plumis elongatis, non, sicut in N. violaceo, griseo marginatis, sed saturate cinereo-nigris 

 unicoloribus : long. tot. 16, alse 2-2, caudse 4, rostri a rictu 3-2, tarsi 3-3. 



Oh's. Hujus Nycticoracis specimina duo tantum, quorum neutrum adultum, habemus, 

 sed ad speciem Americse raeridionalis vulgarem vix referenda esse censemus. 



Hah. 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 Phcenicopteeus. 

 Flamingoes occur both in the Old and the New World. Three species, including the 

 following, are found in America. 



Phcenicopteeus eubee. 



Phcenicopterus ruber, Linn, Syst. Nat. i. p. 230. 



Phoenicopterus glyphorhynchus, Gray, Ibis, 1869, p. 442, pi. xiv. f. 5. 



Having examined the type specimen of the species described by Mr. Gray as P. gly- 

 pjiorhynchus, 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 



