Mauritius Night-Heron

SCI Name:  Nycticorax mauritianus
Protonym:   Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 13 p.281-302
Taxonomy:  Pelecaniformes / Ardeidae / Nycticorax
Taxonomy Code:  maunih1
Type Locality:  
Author:  Newton & Gadow
Publish Year:  1893
IUCN Status:  Extinct

DEFINITIONS

NYCTICORAX
(Ardeidae; Ϯ Black-crowned Night Heron N. nycticorax) Specific name Ardea nycticorax Linnaeus, 1758; "153. NYCTICORAX INFAVSTVS.  THE NIGHT RAVEN." (T. Forster 1817); "Nycticorax T. Forster, Synopt. Cat. Brit. Bds., 1817, p. 59. Type, by tautonymy and monotypy, Nycticorax infaustus Forster = Ardea nycticorax Linné." (Peters 1931, I, 114) (see nycticorax).
Var. Nicticorax, Nigricorax (L. niger black).
Synon. Maridus, Megaphoyx, Nycterodius, Nyctiardea, Scotaeus.

nycticorax
L. nycticorax, nycticoracis  unknown bird, probably an owl  < Gr. νυκτικοραξ nuktikorax, νυκτικορακος nuktikorakos  bird of evil omen mentioned by Aristotle, Hesychius and other authors, probably a sort of owl, but long associated with the night heron  < νυξ nux, νυκτος  nuktos night; κοραξ korax, κορακος korakos  raven  < κρωζω krōzō  to croak; “The Germans call it, Nacht rab, that is, Night-raven, and under that title it is figured and described by Gesner ...  It is called Night-Raven, because in the night time it cries with an uncouth voice, like one that were straining to vomit” (Ray 1678); "76. ARDEA.  ...  Nycticorax.  9. A. crista occipitis tripenni dependente, dorso nigro, abdomine flavescente.  Nycticorax. Gesn. av. 628. Aldr. orn. l. 19. c. 57. p. 272.  Ardea cinerea minor. Will. orn. 204. t. 49. Raj. av. 99. n. 3. Mars. danub. 5. t. 3. Alb. av. 2. p. 62. t. 67. Aldr. orn. l. 20. c. 10.  Habitat in Europa australi.  Frons alba circum rostrum. Dorsum nigrum, abdomen album. Pennæ cristæ 3, teretiusculæ, albæ, ad medium dorsi dependentes." (Linnaeus 1758) (Nycticorax).

mauritiana / mauritianus
Mauritius, formerly known as Île de France and Île de Maurice (named after Mauritz van Nassau (1567-1625) Prince of Orange and Stadhouder of the Dutch Republic).
● ex “Merle vert de l’isle de France” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 648, fig. 2, and “Maurituius Thrush” of Latham 1783 (syn. Hypsipetes borbonicus olivaceus).
● ex “Figuier de l’isle de France” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 705, fig. 1, “Figuier bleu” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Maurice Warbler” of Latham 1783 (Zosterops).