1887.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 28T 



ascertain the number or' powder-down patches in this form, a question 

 worthy the iuvestisfttion of the naturalists now in the tield. 



SYNOPSIS OF THE JAPANESE GENERA OF THE SUBFAMILY AEDEINxE. 



a' . Inner toe decidedly longer than the outer ; 10 rectrices (Botaurej^). 



i\ Middle toe, without claw, much longer than exposed culmeu ; hind claw more than 



one-third the exposed culmen; wing more than 2.'iO"'™ Botaurus. 



ii>2 Middle toe, without claw, about equal to, or shorter than, exposed culmeu ; hind 

 claw less than one-third the exposed culmeu ; wing less thau 250™".. J/'(fe«a. 

 a^. Inner toe equal to, or shorter than, the outer ; 12 rectrices (Aede^e.) 

 ¥. Naked portion of tibia shorter thau inner toe without claw. 

 c'. Lower part of tarsus in front reticulate, 

 rf'. Exposed culmen shorter thau middle toe, with claw. 



e'. Naked tibia and tarsus combined much more than twice the culmen which 

 is shorter than outer toe with claw ; inner toe, with claw, equals middle 



toe without claw Gorsachiua. 



e-. Naked tibia and tarsus combined much less than twice the culmen, whick 

 IS longer than the outer toe with, claw ; inner toe, with claw, decidedly 



shorter than middle toe, without claw Xycikorax, 



d^. Exposed culmen longer than middle toe, with claw Bntorides. 



c^. Tarsus in front scutellate to the tarso-phalangeal joint. 

 d}. Exposed culmen longer than middle toe, with claw. 



e^ Tarsus much longer than middle toe, with claw Deinief/retta. 



e-. Tarsus about equal to middle toe, with claw Ardeola. 



d-. Exposed culmen much shorter than middle toe, without claw Babidcus, 



h-. Naked portion of tibia longer ihau inner toe, without claw. 

 c^ Lower end of tarsus in front covered with regular hexagonal meshes; Japanese 

 species particolored, and the ornamental plumes of the adults with com- 

 pact webs Ardea. 



c^. Lower end of tarsus in front covered with narrow band-shaped transverse 



' bcutellse, or narrow transverse bands of uearlj^ quadrangular scutellaj ; 



Japanese species pure white, and some of the ornamental plumes with 



decomposed webs Herodias.. 



BOTAUEE^. 



BOTAURUS Hermann. 



1783. — Botauriis Hermann, Tabl. AfSn. Anim., p. 1^5, (type Ardea stellaris L.) 

 1837. — Butor SWAiNSON, Classif. B., II, p. 354, (same type.) 



(1:30.) Botaurus stellaris (Linn.). 



Bittern. Sankano goi. 



1758.— ^rf?m sieUaris Linn., S.N., 10 ed., I, p. U4.—Id., S. N., 12 ed., I, p. 239 (17(56). 

 — TEMM.,Man.d'Orn., 2 ed., IV, p. 381 (1840).— Tbmm. & Schl., Fauna 

 Japon., Aves, p. 116 (1849).— Schlegel, Mus. P. Bas, Ardese, p. 47 (1863). 

 — Botaurus s. Stephens, Gen. ZooL, XI, ii (p. 593), (1819). — Sharpe, Ann. 

 Mag. Nat. Hist., 4 ser. VL 1870, p. 160.— Swinhoe, Ibis, 1875, p. 455.— Mc. 

 Vean, Proc. R. Phys. Soc. Ediub., 1877, p. — , extr. p. 7.— Blakist. & 

 Pryer, Ibis, 1878, p. 223.— I(U, Tr. As. Soc. Jap., VIII, 1880, p. 199.— lid., 

 ibid., X, 1882, p. 118.— Blakist., Cbrysanth., 1833, April, p. 173.— Id., 

 Amend. List B. Jap., p. 12 (1884). 



1831. — Botaurus lacustris Brehm, Handb. Vog. Deutschl., p. 596. 



1831. — Botaurus arundinaceuH Brehm, Handb. Vog. Deutschl., p. 596. 



