1887.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 293 



It will be seen from the above synonymy that I regrard the Japanese 

 Tiger Bittern as different from G. melanolophus of Raffles, which ranges 

 from Ceylon to Formosa. The question is by no means settled, how- 

 ever, and with only one specimen before me I cannot be expected to 

 ■€lucidate it much. A review of what has been written on the subject* 

 may throw some light on the subject, and seems to prove that a union 

 of the two names, at present at least, is premature, t 



First, in regard to the adult birds the most marked differential char- 

 acter possessed by O. melanolophus, according to Lord Walden (Tr. 

 Zool. Soc, IX, p. 238; Tweedd. Works, p. 401), "is its black crown and 

 long black crest. In no authentic Japanese individuals do the crown 

 and crest seem to be black. In the adult they are of a rich purple- 

 chestnut." So far as 1 know there is only one record of a black-crowned 

 Japanese specimen, viz, by Bonaparte, in his Conspectus Avium (II, p. 

 138.) This specimen he states to be iu the Paris Museum, collected in 

 1829 by Brossard; but this assertion carries little weight iu the face of 

 his well-known inaccuracy iu regard to localities. Bly th,| Walden {I. c), 

 and Cabanis§ seem to be right when stating that the Japanese bird 

 never has black on the crown. 



Bonaparte regarded the black-capped individuals as adults and the 

 brown-crowned ones as young, but this is now known to be erroneous. 

 Swinhoe (Ibis, 1866, p. 403) explains the difference by assuming that 

 the crest is black, but that it is shed in winter. "In winter the crest 

 «eems to fall, leaving the head smooth and plain chestnut, instead of 

 being capped and crested with cinereous-black plumes." But Lord 

 Walden describes a Nagasaki example iu his own collection as having 

 ■"a full chestnut-colored crest," while on the other hand he had a Ma- 

 lacca specimen with black crest killed in December; and I would like- 

 "wise call the attention to Mr. Bourdillon's description of a male obtained 

 by him in Travancore, on January 3 (apparently a bird of the year, as 

 the crest feathers were marked by white), with "crown of head and 



*I have to regret uiy inability to consult Mr. Oates' remarks (B.Brit. Burmah, 

 II, p. 261), as his book is not in the library. 



t Since this article was set in type, the January number of the " Notes from the 

 Leyden Museum," vol. IX, has come to hand. In a paper entitled "On a Collection 

 of Birds made by Dr. C. Klaesi in the Highlands of Padang (W. Sumatra)," Dr. J. 

 Blittikofer discusses the question very fully, and he comes to the same conclusions as 

 myself, viz, that the two forms are quite distinct. The synonymies of both are elab- 

 orately treated of, and the essential differences well pointed out. He also gives "A 

 chronological review of the essential papers hitherto published on both species." 

 The discussion occupies pp. 81-91. 



tMr. Swinhoe (Ibis, IdSfj, p. 123) most erroneously asserts that Blyth "identifies 

 (Ibis, la65, p. 38) the Ardea meJanolopha of Ralfles with the Japanese bird." On the 

 contrary, Blyth (/. c.) maintains their distinctness as follows: "The adult of G 

 melanolophus is similar to that of P. goisacji, but has a long black crested pileus at 

 all ages. G. goisagi, from Japan, has no black on crest at any age." This view he 

 modified, however, subsequent to Swiuhoe's remarks, as quoted above (Ibis, 1367, p. 

 173). 



§ Journ. f. Orn., 1681, p. 425. 



