Nycticorax goisagi Temminck, Pl. Col. (1836), pl. 582.
Gorsachius goisagi Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26,
169; Hand-List (1899), 1, 199; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List
(1906), 34.
Luzon (Heriot); Mindanao (Steere Exp.). Japan and Formosa.
"Adult.--Differs from G. melanolophus in its deep vinous-chestnut
head, which has a little shade of blackish on the forehead only; the
mantle is browner, and the upper surface generally never seems to be
free from dusky vermiculations; axillars black and rufous instead of
black and white, and no white tips to the outer primaries. Length,
457; culmen, 39; wing, 259; tail, 94; tarsus, 63.
"Young.--Differs from the adult in being browner and more uniform
on upper mantle and back, but with the wings much freckled with
rufous-buff; crown dusky blackish, inclining to dark vinous on the
neck. The young bird differs from the young of G. melanolophus by
the rufous tips to the primaries.
"The description of the young bird is taken from a bird procured by
Mr. Ringer at Nagasaki, which still retains some of the nestling
down on the head. Full-grown birds, exactly similar in plumage,
are in the collection from Luzon and Ayala in Mindanao. 'Bill green,
culmen black; legs and feet green; iris yellow.' (Moseley.)" (Sharpe.)
Genus BUTORIDES Blyth, 1849.
Size small, plumage dark; bill long and slender, much longer than
tarsus, the latter about equal to middle toe with claw; wing pointed,
primaries exceeding secondaries by about two-thirds of tarsus.
Species.
a1. Throat and cheek-stripes white and distinct; abdomen white.
b1. Smaller; wing about 178 mm. ... javanica (p. 174)
b2. Larger; wing about 200 mm. ... amurensis (p. 176)
a2. Throat and cheek-stripe ashy or brown not distinctly indicated;
abdomen rusty. ... spodiogaster (p. 176)