300 iiEVIEW OF JAPANESE BIRDS. 



DEMIEGRETTA Blyth. 



liHG.—Demiegretta" Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, XV, 1846 (p. 37G), (type A.ju- 



gularis ; nee Baird, 1858). 

 1855.— i/erorfias Bonapartk, Cous)). Av., II, p. 1'20 (nee BoiE, 1822). 



Two forms or phases of Eeef Herons, which, for reasons given fur- 

 ther on, we have treated as different species, are recorded from the 

 small southern islands of the empire, being the northernmost localities 

 for any of the forms of this genus, the distribution of which is tropical 

 and subtropical. They may be distinguished thus : 



-fli. Slate-colored with a white streak down the chin and throat I), ringeri. 



a-. Pure white all over -^- ^'"ei/t. 



(137^.) Demiegretta ringeri, sp. n. 



Japanese Reef Heron. Knro-Sagi. 



\-iQ^i.—Ardea jugidaris CassIxV, Proc. Acad. Phila., 1862, p. 321 (jiec Wagler). 

 l^Q'i.—Ardea albilineafa Schlegel, Mus. P. B., Ardeie, p. 27 (part, nee A. albolineata 



Gray, 1859). 



lii82.—Ardeola ? Blakist. & Pryer, Tr. As. Soc. Jap., X, 1882, p. 120. 



188i.—Ardea sacra ? Blakist., Amend. List B. Jap., p. 41.— Seebohm, Ibis, 1884, p. 



176. 



Diagn. — Similar to D.jugularis Wagl., but with the top of the head 

 and the occipital crest plumbeous and lighter than the back. 



Eah. — Tsushima j Goto Island ; Liu Kiu Island. 



Type.—V. S. Nat. Mus. No. 21241. 



Through the courtesy of Mr. P. L. Jouy, who collected four fine spec- 

 imens of this bird on Tsu-shima, I have been able to institute a com- 

 parison of the Japanese Reef Heron with a series of typical specimens 

 of the true D. jugularis. 



Schlegel has recorded several Japanese specimens in the Leyden 

 Museum, as A. albilineata Gray, saying that this form differs from D. 

 Jugularis only in its larger size. As the tables below show, there is no 

 appreciable difference in this respect, and Schlegel's own measurements 

 <lo not bear out his assertion. On the whole, D.jugularis seems to be 

 subject to a great amount of individual variation in regard to size, as 

 already shown by Hume (Stray Feathers, II, p. 304). In referring to 

 the tables given below, I should remark that the apparent shortness of 

 the tarsus of the typical D. jugularis is probably due to the fact that all 

 the specimens of the latter are mounted, while those of D. ringeri are 

 skins ; the measurements of the former are therefore less reliable. 



The Tsushima* specimens and one from Liu Kiu, collected by Dr. Will- 

 iam Stimpsou, differ materially from five specimens collected by the U. S. 

 Exploring Expedition in several islands of Central Polynesia, by having 

 the top of the head and the occi])ital crest of a fine plumbeous color, 

 which is appreciably lighter than the rest of the upper surface, excei^t 

 the scapular plumes, while in the Polynesian specimens the top of head 

 and the occipital crest is much darker, corresponding closely to Ridg- 



* Often spelt Demigretta. I cannot now ascertain the original spelling. 



