XX XI I 



be considered an accidental visitor. "Wherever suitable 

 localities existed, the Night-Heron bred, so that it was found 

 equal! V at home in South Africa as it was in Hungary, and to 

 the east it occurred as far north as the Japanese islands and 

 Pekin, and as far south as Java and Celebes. In the Neo- 

 tropical Region it was found in Guiana, Colombia, and 

 Ecuador, and was probably the species which had been re- 

 corded from the Ucayali river in Upper Amazonia. 



The distribution of the two other species of Night-Heron 

 in South America was curious. JV^. cyanocephulus, Molina 

 [N. obscurus, auct.), was found in Magellan Straits, north- 

 ward to Central Chili. Its place was taken in Peru by another 

 species, closely allied to X. nycticorax, which would have 

 to bear the unwieldy name of iV. tayazu-guira of Vieillot, 

 founded on the '' Garza tayazu-guira " of Azara. This 

 species ranged from Peru to the province of Tarapaca in 

 Northern Chili, through Bolivia to Southern Brazil and 

 Argentina, and then re-occurred in the Falkland Islands, 

 where iV. cyanocephalus might have been expected. 



Of the species oi Ardeir alius, Dr. Sharpe characterized a 

 ne^' form as 



Ardeirallus xesophilus, sp. n. 

 Similis A. melceni, sed abdomine schistaceo, gutture et prce- 

 pectore pauUulura rufescenti-brunneo marmoratis dis- 

 tinguendus. Long. tot. 23 poll., alie 8-2. 



Hab. in insula " Duke of York " dicta. 



"The species of Ardeirallus are apparently four in number. 

 A. jiavicoUis, which breeds in the Eastern Narra, Siud, occurs 

 again in the Wynaad, Travancore, and Ceylon, but is widely 

 distributed in Central and Southern China, west to India, 

 and south to the Malayan countries to Java, Borneo, and 

 Celebes. A. goaldi is conducd to Australia and New 

 Guinea. A. melas to the ^Molucca islands (Halmahera, 

 Batchian, ^lorotai, and Bourou), extending to the Sanghir 

 group, and it is prubably the species of Amboiua ; A. neso- 

 phihis appears lo be eourincd lo Duke of York I>lund and 

 New Britain. 



