Birds of Celebes: Ardeidae. 84J 



Ardeola has the tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw, whereby it 

 may be distinguished from many of the large Herons, as from Bvbiilciis and 

 Herodias, but the most handy mark of distinction is found in the white wings. 

 A. speciosa also differs widely from the type of its genus, A. ralloides , which has 

 an occipital crest of an abundance of lanceolate feathers (not simply about four), 

 the first primary more pointed and scarcely shorter than the longest (it is a 

 migratory species), etc. Ardeola appears to us to have affinities with the Egrets 

 (Herodias) on the one side and with the Night Herons (Nycticorax) on the other. 

 Seebohm, indeed, includes the Chinese Squacco Heron, Ardeola prasinosceles, in 

 the genus Nycticoraas (B. Japan 1890, 225), but the true Night Heron differs 

 in having the bill much more massive, the neck shorter, the wing more pointed, 

 the 3 — 4 outer primaries notched on the inner web, no dorsal breeding train, 

 and in other points. 



GENUS NYCTICORAX Raf. 



As a genus Nycticorax may be recognised by its stout, strong bill, the height 

 of which is about V3 the length of the culmen, the tomia obscurely serrated; 

 the tarsus is covered with irregular scales; the head is black (slate, etc.) above, 

 with three or more very long narrow feathers sprouting from the nape, which 

 sometimes fold into one another, so as to look like a single plume. In habits 

 nocturnal. 



^357. NYCTICORAX CALEDONICUS (Gm.). 



Nankeen Night Heron. 



^&^ 



a. Caledonian Night Heron (1) Lath., Gen. Syn. 1783, III, 55. 



b. Ardea caledonica (1) Gm., S. N. 1788, I, 626; (2) Sclil., Mus. P.-B., Ardeae, 1863, 59; 



(3) Rosenb., Zool. Garten 1881, 167. 

 Nycticorax caledonicus (1) Steph., Gen. Zool. 1819, XI, 613; ^IZI Gould., B. Austr. 1848, 

 VI, pi. 63; (3) id., Hb. B. Austr. 1865, H, 311; (4) Wald., Tr. Z. S. 1872, VHI, 

 100, 114; (5) Salvad., Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. 1875, VH, 681; (6) Brugg., Abh. Ver. 

 Bremen 1876, V, 98; (7) Rchw., J. f. 0. 1877, 238; (8) Rosenb., Malay. Archip. 

 1878, 278; (9) Meyer, Ibis 1879, 143; (10) id., Verb. z.-b. Ges. Wien 1881, 771; 

 (11) Tweedd., Orn. Works 1881, 199, 400, 542; (12) Salvad., Orn. Pap. 1S82, m, 

 372; (13) Nicholson, Ibis 1882, 69; (14) E. L. & L. 0. Layard, t. c. 531, 544; 

 (15) W. Bias. &Nehrk., Verb. z.-b. Ges. Wien 1^82, 431; (16) W. Bias., J. f. 0. 



1883, 133; (17) Rams., Pr. L. Soc. N. S. W. 1883, 55, 88; (18) Meyer, Isis, Dresden 



1884, 57; (19) Sbarpe, Rep. Voy. Alert 1884, 28; (20) W. Bias., Ztscbr. ges. Orn. 



1885, 324; (21) Stejn., Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1887, X, 297; (22) Rams., Pr. L. Soc. 

 N. S. W. 1887, 172; (23) id.. Tab. List 1888, 21; (24) W. Bias., Omis 1888, 632; 

 (25) Buller, B. New Zeal. 2»d ed. 1888, H, 139; (26) North, Nests and Eggs 

 B. Austr. 1888, 320, pi. XVm, f. 1; (27) Studer, Voy. Gazelle 1889, m, 198; 

 (28) Cox & Hamil., Pr. L. Soc. N. S. W. 1889, 421; (29) Seeb., B. Japan 1890, 

 223; (30) id.. Ibis 1890, 107; (31) Salvad., Orn. Pap. Agg. 1891, 208; (32) 

 Wiglesw., Av. Polyn. 1892, 68; (33) Meyer, J. f. 0. 1892, 264; (34) Buttik., 



Meyer & Wigleswortli , Birds of CelBbes (Dec. loth, 181171. 106 



