846 Birds of Celebes: Ardeidae. 



Erg. Weber's Eeise 1893, in, 306; (6) Sharpe, Ibis 1894, 426; (7) id., Cat. B. 

 1898, XXVI, 146. 

 Nycticorax griseus (1) Strickl. ; (2) Gray, List Grallae Br. Mus. 1844, 84; (3) Swinh., 

 Ibis 1861, 53; (4) id., Ibis 1863, 423; (5) Hartl. &Finsch, P. Z. S. 1872, 105; 

 (6) Wald., Tr. Z. S. 1872, VHI, 100; (7) Salvad., Cat. Ucc. Borneo 1874, 356; 

 (8) Rchw., J. f. 0. 1877, 237; (9) Hume & Davison, Str. F. 1878, YI, 484; 

 (Xj Dresser, B. Europe VI, 269, pi. 402 (1879); (11) Legge, B. Ceylon 1880, 

 1165; (12) Tweedd., Om. Works 1881, 199, 400, 413, 561; (13) Wardl. Rams., op. 

 cit. 660; (14) Salvad., Orn. Pap. 1882, m, 376; (15) W. Bias., Z. ges. Om. 1886, 

 166; (16) Cazin, Ann. So. Nat. 1887, (4) VH, 177; (17) St. John, Ibis 1889, 178; 

 (18) Everett, J. Str. Br. R. A. S. 1889, 190; (19) Sharpe, Ibis 1890, 148, 285; 

 (20) Steere, List Coll. B. & M. Phihpp. 1890, 27; (21) Hagen, T. Ned. Aard. 

 Genoots. 1890, (2) Vn, 167; (22) Vorderm., N. T. Ned. Ind. 1891, L, 408; (23) 

 Styan, Ibis 1891, 327, 493; (24) Salvad., Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. 1891, (2) XH, 77; 

 1^25; Wiglesw., Aves Polyn. 1892, 69; (26) De La Touche, Ibis 1892, 489; 

 (27) Styan, Ibis 1893, 434; (28) Hose, t. c. 420; (29) Newton, Diet. B. 1893, 420. 



f. Nyctiardea nycticorax (1) Swinh., P. Z. S. 1872, 413; (2) David & Oust., Ois. Chine 



1877, 444; (3) Gates, B. Brit. Burmah 1883, 11, 259; (4) id., ed. Hume's Nests 

 & Eggs 1890, m, 258. 



g. Nycticorax aegyptius (Hasselq.); (1) Brligg., Abh. Ver. Bremen 1876, V, 98. 



h. Nycticorax griseus naevius (1) Brd., Brew. &Eidgw., Water B. N. Am. 1884, I, 55. 

 For further synonymy and references cf. Naumann a II; Salvadori 6; Dresser X; 

 Stejneger e 3; Sharpe e 7. 



Figures and descriptions. Naumann all; Dresser X; Legge 11; Oates f 3; etc., etc. 



Adult. Head above, mantle, back, scapulars and innermost remiges black, strongly 

 glossed with green; three or more very long narrow occipital plumes white; 

 neck, a broad superciliary stripe, face, fore neck and under parts, with 

 lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts light grey; wings and tail browner 

 grey; "iris variable — deep red, crimson, scarlet; bill — upper mandible black, loral 

 skin and gape bluish green, base of under mandible greenish yellow, tip black; legs 

 and feet pale orange-yellow, in some yellow" 'Legge 10); wing 280; tail 110; 

 tarsus 73; mid. toe & claw 80; exp. cuhnen 74 mm (? Java: v. Schierbrand). 



Tonng. Brown, streaked with fulvous, the streaks spreading out into broad terminal spots 

 on the remiges, wing-coverts and back, as in Nycticorax caledonicus juv., from which 

 it is not easily distinguished. The greater wing-coverts and remiges are grey-brown 

 with white terminal spots; in caledonicus they are dusky brown, vermiculated or 

 barred on the outer web with rufous; the tail is greyer, in caledonicus browner; the 

 general tint is greyer than in caledonicus (juv. Nr. 11386). 



Remark. Perhaps the best means of distinguishing the two forms is found in the pro- 

 portions of the toe and tarsus: accox'ding to our method of measuring the middle 

 toe with claw of N. griseus is 5 — 10 mm longer than the tarsus, in caledonicus (as in 

 manilensis] the two parts are approximately equal. 



Eggs. Of variable shape; in colour delicate pale sea-green, varying to bright hght green and 

 greenish wliite; size 42.7 — 52.3x38 — 36.8 mm, average of 18 specimens 48.8x34.3 mm 

 (Hume f 4). 



Nest. Of sticks, placed in reed-beds, on trees or bushes, where the birds often breed in very 

 large colonies (cf. Swinhoe 3, 4; Hume f 4). 



Distribution. "The present species is chiefly to be met with in the southern and eastern 

 portions of our continent (Europe), and but seldom occm-s in Northern Europe. In 



