94 M. Suudevall on the Birds of Calcutta. 



Ardea speciosa is the commonest of the Bengalese Herons. It 

 is seen everywhere near tanks and on the banks of the river, even 

 among houses and at Serampore. It was said to build in trees; 

 and is stationary the whole year. Like all the Herons it flies 

 with the neck doubly curved. When the large white wings are 

 expanded, but few of the dark feathers above the body are seen, 

 so that the bird seems wholly white, but when it walks it appears 

 dark gray. A male which was shot had the stomach filled with 

 grasshoppers ; in the female were found both grasshoppers and 

 remains of fish. The Bengalese name is Bogg or Khanni hogg^ 

 which name however I often heard applied to the other species 

 of Heron, both greater and less, white and coloured. 



79. Ardea russata, Wagl. no. 12. Plumis colli brevibus, tibia 

 longius nuda. Rostrum capite parum longius. Junior tota alba. 



$ (in fine Martii). Tota alba immaculata, occipite non cristato. 

 Iris flava. Rostrum totum et facies nuda flava. Pedes fuscescentes, 

 tarso superne parteque nuda tibiae flavescentibus. Unguis medius 

 validior, usque ad apicem pectinatus. Longit. 18 poll., rostrum e fronte 

 62 mill., ala 240, tarsus 87, digitus medius 57, cum ungue 75. 

 Plumae occipitis breves, simplices ; pectoris vix elongato-pendulse. 



This small white Heron was seen rather less frequently than 

 the last species during all the time I remained in Bengal. Among 

 the many which I saw from February to April, none were ob- 

 served with the isabella-coloured back, neck and head, as the old 

 birds are described, which is perhaps owing to the old ones being 

 more wary, so that I did not approach them near enough to di- 

 stinguish the colour. The only one which I shot had been eat- 

 ing grasshoppers and water-larvse, but no traces of fish were found 

 in its stomach. This, like the other Herons with a small neck 

 and long legs, is often seen walking about with outstretched 

 neck. Those species which I have seen with long neck-feathers 

 and shorter feet have been more sedentary ; they conceal them- 

 selves and crouch, so that they are not seen until they fly up. 



80. Ardea garzetta, Wagl. Syst. no. 10. Plumis colli brevibus, 

 tibia longe nuda. Rostrum tenue, capite longius. Tota alba, pe- 

 dibus nigris, tarso inferius digitisque viridi-flavis. 



Senior (initio Mail). Iris flava. Rostrum et facies nuda nigra, 

 orbita flavescente. Occiput et pectus plumis elongatis, pendulis, 

 lacero-acutis. Plumse dorsi speciosee, raro pectinatse, paucse, vix cau- 

 dam attingentes. Ungues breviores : medius 12 millim., pectine, ut 

 in plerisque Ardeis, ante apicem abrupte terminate. Priori dimidio 

 major. 



Although this species was not rare, I only procured one spe- 

 cimen, which from various interruptions was not preserved, so 

 that I cannot give the dimensions. It was often seen walking 



