222 HERODIONES. 



Botaurus and resemble Ardea in having twelve tail-feathers, and in 

 having the inner toe shorter than the outer. 



The genus Nycticorax may be divided into several subgenera — 

 Night-Herons (typical Nycticorax), Mangrove-Herons {Butorides), 

 and Squacco Herons {Ardeola) : the two former with grey (instead 

 of white) quills; and the two latter with straight and somewhat 

 slender (instead of decurved and stout) bills. 



207. NYCTICORAX NYCTICORAX. 



(NIGHT-HERON.) 



Ardea nycticorax, Linneus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 235 (1766). 



The Night-Heron is a medium-sized species (wing from carpal 

 joint lOJ to 11 inches). It has grey quills, a stout decurved bill, 

 and uniform pale grey axillaries. 



Figures : Dresser, Birds of Europe, vi. pi. 402. 



The Night-Heron is a common summer visitor to Southern Japan, 

 but is not known to have occurred in Yezzo. In the Pryer collec- 

 tion there is a large series of both adult and immature examples from 

 Yokohama. The examples procured by the Siebold Expedition were 

 doubtless obtained near Nagasaki (Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna 

 Japonica, Aves, p. 116) ; and there is one in the Norwich Museum 

 sent by Mr. Einger from the same locality. It was included by Pryer 

 in the list of birds obtained by Namiye on the central group of the 

 Loo-Choo Islands (Seebohm, Ibis, 1887, p. 181), and the specimen 

 was identified by Dr. Stejneger (Proc. United States Nat. Mus. 

 1887, p. 296). 



The breeding-range of the Night-Heron does not reach the British 

 Islands (where this species is only known as a rare visitor), but it 

 extends across Southern Europe to Persia, India, Burma, China, and 

 Japan. It also breeds on the American continent. 



208. NYCTICORAX CRASSIROSTRIS. 

 (BONIN NIGHT-HERON.) 



Nycticorax crassirostris, Vigors, Zool. Captain Beechey'a Voyage, p. 27 (1839). 



The Bonin Night-Heron has a white superciliary stripe and white 



