The Key to Scientific Names
- Afrardea
(Ardeidae; syn. Ardea † Black-headed Heron A. melanocephala) L. Afer, Afra African < Africa Africa; genus Ardea Linnaeus, 1758, heron; " A. melanocephala Vig. and Childr. should be subgenerically separated on account of its smaller size and shorter bill, for which the new name of AFRARDEA may be used." (A. Roberts 1922); "Afrardea A. Roberts, 1922, Annals Transvaal Mus., VIII (4), p. 203. Type, by monotypy, Ardea melanocephala Vigors and Children, 1826." (JAJ 2020).
- ARDEA
(Ardeidae; Ϯ Grey Heron A. cinerea) L. ardea heron. In Roman myth. the town of Ardea, capital of the Rutuli, was razed to the ground, and from the ashes rose a pale, lean bird, shaking the cinders from its wings and uttering mournful cries (cf. “Albertus devoted a chapter in De animalibus to the heron … “the Ardea is so called from burning [ardere], because its excrement burns [adurit] whatever it touches” … “the heron (ardea) is named as if the word were ardua (that is, “steep”) – this on account of its lofty flight” … “When a hawk pursues a heron, the heron ejects its droppings at it, and wherever these touch it, they defeather the hawk and rot its body … The heron [ardea] is called such … because it burns [ardet] through its vent when it ejects its burning dung.”” (Friedman, 2022, Archives Nat. Hist., 49 (1), p. 19)); "76. ARDEA. Rostrum rectum, acutum, longum, subcompressum, sulco e naribus, versus apicem exaratum. Pedes tetradactyli." (Linnaeus 1758); "Ardea Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 141. Type, by subsequent designation (G. R. Gray, 1840, List Gen. Birds, p. 60), Ardea cinerea Linnaeus." (Payne in Peters, 1979, I, 2nd ed., p. 195). Linnaeus's Ardea comprised nineteen species (A. pavonina, A. Virgo, A. canadensis, A. Grus, A. americana, A. Antigone, A. Ciconia, A. nigra, A. Nycticorax, A. cinerea, A. Herodias, A. violacea, A. cærulea, A. striata, A. virescens, A. stellaris, A. alba, A. Ibis, A. æquinoctialis).
Var. Adrea, Ardaea, Ardeae, Ardua.
Synon. Afrardea, Ardeomega, Audubonia, Casmerodius, Egretta, Erodius, Herodias, Megerodius, Mesophoyx, Myola, Phoyx, Pyrrherodia, Tonophoyx, Typhon.
● (Ardeidae; quasi-syn. Ardea † Cocoi Heron A. cocoi) “Ardea Lin.: palliata Illig. u. s. w.” (Boie 1826); “Ardea “Lin.” Boie, 1826, Isis von Oken, col. 979. Type, by monotypy, Ardea palliata “Illiger” auctorum = Ardea cocoi Linnaeus, 1766.” (JAJ 2023).- Caloardea
(Ardeidae; syn. Calherodius † White-backed Night Heron C. leuconotus) Gr. καλος kalos beautiful; L. ardea heron; "In my Review paper of 1922, p. 204, I referred our Whitebacked Night Heron to the American genus Nyctanassa, as it obviously did not fall into the genus Nycticorax. Comparison of material of the type species of the genus Nyctanassa shows, however, that it cannot be placed there and it becomes necessary to create a new one for it. I therefore place Ardea leuconotus Wagner in a new genus CALOARDEA" (A. Roberts 1926); "Caloardea A. Roberts, 1926, Annals Transvaal Mus., XI (iv), p. 219. Type, by monotypy, Ardea leuconotus Wagler, 1827." (JAJ 2021).
- colardeaui
Dr François André Saint-Félix Colardeau (1829-1898) French physician, agronomist on Guadeloupe, US vice-consul, naturalist, collector (Martin Schneider in litt.) (syn. Chaetura martinica).
- Nyctiardea
(Ardeidae; syn. Nycticorax † Black-crowned Night Heron N. nycticorax) Gr. νυκτι- nukti- night-, by night < νυξ nux, νυκτος nuktos night; L. ardea heron; "Nyctiardea, Sw. † Night Herons. ... † Nycticorax, implying a resemblance altogether false, I have ventured to propose the true meaning of the vernacular name by which these birds are so well known" (Swainson 1837); "Nyctiardea Swainson, 1837, Nat. Hist. Classification Birds, II, p. 354. New name for Nycticorax T. Forster, 1817, considered misleading." (JAJ 2022).
