135* filEfiS Ot* ILLINOIS. 



apex less than half-way from centre of eye to end of Wll, and about even with anterior end 

 of nostril; apex of malar region a little posterior to the frontal apex. Tarsi long and 

 Blender, exceeding the middle toe by more than half ;the length of the latter; outer toe de-' 

 oidedly longer than inner; hallux slightly longer than the first phalanx of the middle toe; 

 bare portion of tibia as long as the outer toe; tarsal seutell£B with a tendency to form trans- 

 verse plates nn the upper half, in front; elaws exceedingly short, strongly curved, and 

 blunt. Innei we a of two outer primaries emarginated near the end; tail of twelve broad, 

 moderately ham feathers; interscapular plumes, greatly elongated (extending beyond the 

 tail), narrow, the plumulae thread-like and soft, and separated outwardly. Occipital plumes 

 linear, flattened, longer than the head and bill, when fully developed, half a dozen or more 

 in number, and graduated la length. 



Nyeticorax violaceus (Linn.) 



YELLOW-CHOWNED NIGHT HEEON. 



Popular synonyms. White-orowned Night Heron: Pedrete de m^reara (Mexico). 



Ardea stellaris cristata americana Catesbt. Carolina, 1754. pi. 79 (adult). 

 Bihoreau de Cayenne Buff. PI. En]. 1770-84. pi. 899 (adult). 



Ardea violacea LiSN. S. N. ed. 10, i,17o8, 143, l^o. 12 (ex Catesby, 1. c); ed. 12, i, 1766. 238, No.- 

 16.— WiiiS. Am. Orn. viii, 1814, 26, pi. 65.— Nutt. Man. li, 1834, 52.— Add. Orn. Biog. iv, 

 1838, 290, pi. 336; Synop. 1839, 262; Birds Am. vi, 1843. 89, pi. 364 (adult and young). 

 Nyctiardea violacea BWAINS. Classif. B. ii, 1837, 354.— CouES, Key, 1872, 269; Check List, 



1873, No. 459. 

 Nyctherodlus violaceus Beichenb. Syst. Ay. 1851,p. xvi.— Baled, Birds N. Am. 1858,679; 

 Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 496.— Eidgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1831, No. 496.— CotJES, Check 

 List, 2d ed. 1882, No. 665 {J!fycterodius).—B. B. & E. Water B. N. Am. i, 1884. 61. 

 Ntictioorax violaceus ViG. Zool. Jour, ill, 1827, 446.— A. 0. U. Check List, 1886, No. 203.— 

 ' BiDOW. Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 133. 

 Cayenne Sight Heron Lath. Synop. iii, 1785, 56 (auotes PI. Enl. 899). 

 Yellow-crowned Night Heron Latb. t. e. 80. 



Ardea cayennensis G^eIa. 8. N. i, pt. ii, 1788, 626, No. 31 (based on PI. Enl. 899). 

 Ardea sexsetaoea YlEilili. Eno. Meth. iii, 1823, 1130 (Eeiohenow). 

 Ardea callocephala Wagl. Syst. Av. 1827, Ardea, sp. 34. 



Hab. Warm-temperate eastern North America, West Indies. Middle Amerioa. and 

 northern South America, breeding north to southern Illinois and Indiana. On Atlantic 

 coast north to Pennsylvania (rare). West to Colorado, south to western Ecuador and the 

 Amazonian region^. Bermudas. 



Sp. Chab. a dult. Forehead, middle of the crown, lone occipital plumes, and a 

 large longitudinal patch from the rictus to the ears, pure white ;»> rest of the head deep 



In living and freshly killed specimens the forehead is a delicate creamy sulphur- 

 yellow color; but this fades perceptibly in a very short time after death, and finally disap- 

 appears entirely. Audubon (Birds of America, Vol. VL, p. 91) says, however, that this is 

 characteristic of the breeding season, and "disappears at the approach of autumn, when the 

 bird might with all propriety be named the White-crowned Heron." In view of the fact 

 that this beautiful yellow color is seldom if ever to be seen in dried skins, the term "yello*y- 

 orowned" is a decided misnomer; and since it is thus calculated fo mislead the student, we 

 prefer the name "white-browned," and have, on previous occasions, adopted the latter in 

 this w«rk. In many skins the white of the forehead is tinged more or less with ochraoe- 

 ous, or cinnamon-brown; but this is without mucA doubt an actual stain caused by oontaot 

 with the slimy coating ol leaves of aquatic plaBts.ferruginous mud, etc. 



