Genus— N YCTIGORAX. 
Nycticorax Forster, Synopt. Cat. Brit. Birds, p. 59, 
1817 . . . . . . . . . . Type N. nycticorax. 
Nyctiardea Swainson, Classif. Birds, Vol. II., p. 354, 
1837 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Type N. nycticorax. 
Scotceus Keyserling und Blasius, Wirbelth. Enropa’s, 
pp. Ixxx., 220, 1840 . . . . . . . . . . Type N. nycticorax. 
Nycterodius Macgillivray, Manual Brit. Ornith., Vol. II., 
p. 126, 1842 . . . . . . . . . . . . Type N. nycticorax. 
Ardeine birds with stout deep bill, comparatively short neck, long wings, 
long tail, comparatively short legs but long toes. 
The birds of this genus differ from all those hitherto treated of in this 
family in their stout build : the very deep stout bill and short legs being 
characteristic. 
There are two or three very long crest-feathers in the breeding-season, 
but no dorsal or breast-ornaments. 
The culmen is comparatively long, very stout and deep, its depth being 
more than one-fourth its length ; there is the typical ardeine notch towards 
its point and obsolete serrations may be observed upon the edges of the 
upper mandible ; in general structure the bill is quite t3rpicaUy ardeine. 
The culmen is shghtly exceeded by the metatarsus in length and is 
about one-fourth the length of the wing. 
The wing has the first four primaries subequal, the second or third 
longest. 
The tail is composed of twelve feathers and is more than one-third the 
length of the wing and longer than the metatarsus. 
The legs are comparatively short, the exposed tibia being short ; the 
frontal covering of the metatarsus is composed of hexagonal scales, that is, 
the metatarsus is reticulate before and behind. The toes are comparatively 
long with the typical ardeine interwebbing. 
458 
