Mr. E. Doubleday on a new species of the genus Actias. 95 



with long steps on the river bank, and frequently perched in 

 trees. Their white colour makes these species appear much larger 

 than they really are. On the backs of this and two other species 

 grow the highly-prized Egret-feathers. Ardea garzetta is also 

 found in South Europe. 



81. Ardea cinereat Three or four times I saw (in the end of 

 March and the end of April) a species which could hardly be 

 anything else than our common gray Heron ; I think I cannot 

 be mistaken, although the bird each time arose at the distance 

 of 200 or 300 ells. As Ardea cinerea is found in Europe and 

 Africa, and is recorded to occur in Java and the Philippine Islands, 

 it is not likely to be wanting in the intermediate country of 

 India. 



[To be continued.] 



XI. — Description of a new species of the genus Actias of Hiibner, 

 from Northern India. By Edward Doubleday, Assistant in 

 the Zoological Department of the British Museum, F.L.S. &c. 



[.With a Plate.] 



Ac, Mcenas. Alis omnibus pallide viridi-flavis, marginibus externis 

 rufescentibus, anticis costa ferruginea, cinereolavata; lunula magna 

 discoidali fascia transversa baseos, alteraque postica indistincta 

 valde undata rufescentibus ; posticis caudatis, lutlula discoidali 

 parva ; fascia pone medium llexuosa, obsoleta, rufescente. ? . Exp. 

 alar. Q\ unc. vel 165 mill.; caudas long. 3^ unc. vel 90 mill. 

 PI. VII. fig. 1. 



Hab. Silhet. 



Anterior wings pale greenish yellow, the costa, except at the 

 apex, ferruginous, sprinkled with cinereous ; outer margin ru- 

 fescent : near the base a transverse narrow band of the same co- 

 lour, and beyond the middle a not very distinct flexuous streak : 

 a large lunule at the end of the cell connected with the costal 

 vitta, of the same colour with this at its origin, then much paler 

 externally, nearly black internally, marked with a very delicate 

 white line. Posterior wings of the same colour as the anterior, 

 tailed, the tails very long, wrinkled at the extremity, sprinkled 

 with ferruginous from the base nearly to the middle, the outer 

 margin of the wing and of the basal half of the tail ferruginous ; 

 disc with a small black lunule divided by a white line resting on 

 a faint cloud, darkest on the inner side : between this and the 

 margin a very obsolete waved striga. 



Below, the anterior wings want the basal striga, the costa is 

 paler, the lunule wants the black, and the flexuous band is more 

 distinct, as it also is on the posterior wings. 



