ZOOLOGY. 
229 
in the St. Mary’s valley, W. T.; one seen in San Francisco; and another was preserved by me 
which was killed on Puget Sound. As far as my observation proves, it is not a common bird 
on the northwest coast. 
The specimen obtained by me at Fort Steilacoom is now contained in the Smithsonian 
collection, numbered 9468. The bill of this bird was yellowish green , dusky above. Feet and 
legs yellowish green.—S. 
NYCTIARDEA GARDENI, (G m e 1.) B a i r d. 
Night Ileron. 
Jirdea gardeni, Gmelin, I, 1788, 644. 
Nycticorax gardeni, “ Jard.” Bonap. Consp. II, 1855, 141. 
Jirdea nycticorax, Wilson, Am. Orn. VII, 1813, 101, pi. lxi.— Bon. Obs. Wils. 1825,No. 193 .—Aud. Orn. Biog. 
Ill, 1835, 275 : V, 600; pi. 236 .—Ib. Syn. 261 .—Ib. Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 82 ; pi. 363. 
Jirdea ( Botaurus ) discors, Nutt. Man. II, 1834, 54. 
Nyctiardea gardeni, Baird, Gen. Rep. Birds, 678. 
Sp. Ch. —Head above and middle of back steel green. Wings and tailashyblue. Under parts, forehead, and long occipital 
feathers, white. Sides tinged with lilac. Length, about 25 inches; wing, 12.50 ; tarsus, 3.15 ; bill above, 3.10. 
Hah. —United States generally. 
This bird is mentioned by Dr. Townsend as inhabiting Oregon. While on Puget Sound I 
have several times thought that I recognized its cry during the night time. These sounds, 
whatever it was that produced them, occasioned much fright among the Indians, who believe 
that the creature that utters them has the power of transforming human beings into inferior 
animals. They have also several traditions and superstitious stories concerning this, to them, 
horrible bird. I was unable to obtain a specimen of it during my stay in that region, but 
upon my arrival in San Francisco I found that it was quite abundant on the Pacific coast, and 
one or more specimens are contained in every collection of birds I inspected in that city. 
Several of these were in most elegant condition of plumage, the pendant white pencillated 
feathers of the head, characteristic of the species, being, in several specimens, from six to nine 
inches in length.—S. 
I have not met with the night heron in this Territory, though, as it is common in California, 
it probably migrates to the Columbia river, where Townsend seems to have found it.—C. 
Family CHAHADRIDAE ,—T he Plovers. 
CHARADRIUS VIRGINICUS, Borck. 
Golden Plover ; Bull-Head. 
Charadrius pluvialis, Wilson, Am. Orn. VII, 1813, 71 ; pi. lix.—Sw. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 623.— Nuttall, 
Man. II, 1834, 16.— Aud. Orn. Biog. Ill, 1835, 623. (Not of Linnaeus.) 
Charadrius virginicus, “ Borckhausen and Bechstein.” Licht. Verz. Doubl. 1823, No. 729.— Baird & Cassin, 
Gen. Rep. Rirds, 690. 
Charadrius marmoratus, Wagi.er, Syst. Av. 1827, No. 42.— Aud. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 575 ; pi. 300 .—Ib. Syn. 
222.— Ib. Birds Am. V, 1842, 203 ; pi. 316. 
Figures. —Wilson, Am. Orn. VII, pi. 59, fig. 5.—Aud. B. of Am. pi. 300, oct. ed. V, pi. 316.—Meyen, Nova Acta, 
XVI, Supp. pi. 18. 
Sp. Ch.— Bill rather short, legs moderate, wings long, no hind toe, tarsus covered before and behind with small circular or 
hexagonal scales. Upper parts brownish black, with numerous small circular and irregular spots of golden yellow, most 
t 
