The above-described eggs were collected in Palawan, June 27, by Whitehead.
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.)
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.
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)
Ardea javanica Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. (1821), 13, pt. 1, 190. Butorides javanica Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26, 177; Hand-List (1899), 1, 199; Blanford, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1898), 4, 395, fig. 95 (head); McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 34.
Bongao (Everett); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Cebu (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Cuyo (McGregor); Dinagat (Everett); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Jagor, Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Goodfellow, Celestino); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester, Everett, McGregor); Negros (Layard, Steere, Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Nipa (Everett); Palawan (Platen, Whitehead, Bourns & Worcester); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Romblon (McGregor); Samar (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Semirara (Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Sulu (Guillemard); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Southern China, Malay and Indian Peninsulas, Celebes, Ceylon, Mascarene and Greater Sunda Islands.