308 



REVIEW OF JAPANESE BIRDS. 



differs somewhat from four specimeus of A. jjmsinoscWes wbicL practi- 

 cally are identical inter se, and in a pluujage precisely corresponding to 

 the one described above, I may point out the most striking ditlerences. 



In tlie Japanese specimen the light shaft-stripes on the top of the 

 head are much narrower, and tlie black deeper; the brown of the inter- 

 scapilium and the scapulars is darker and less russet ; and the buliy 

 suffusion is less vivid. From the subjoined table it will be seen that 

 the dimensions are the same, but it may be worth mentioning that in 

 the Japanese bird the inner secondaries are longer than the primaries, 

 while in the four immature specimens given in the table, and in the 

 only adult of this species (Shanghai, May 1, 1881, Jouy's Coll.) before 

 me the longest primaries reach 20""" to 33""" beyond the secondaries. 

 I mention this particularly, because Mr. Hume has intimated the possi- 

 bility of this character being diagnostic of Ardeola speciosa (Str. Feath., 

 YI, p. 482), but I hardly think that it is of any value, as an adult male 

 A. grmji (U. S. Nat. Mus. Ko. 95927; Lower Pegu ; May 7, 1880, coll. 

 Gates) in this respect closely resembles the Japanese specimen. 



Boddaert's name Ardea leucoptera is based on PI. Enl. pi. 911, which 

 represents a bird in the immature plumage, said to have come from 

 Malacca, and the name, therefore, properly belongs to the species in- 

 habiting that peninsula. From Hume's note in " Stray Feathers," 

 YIII, p. IGl, it appears that the adult Malacca bird has the head and 

 neck chestnut, that it consequently is the same as Swinhoe's A. prasi- 

 nosceles. This being the case, the latter appellation will have to give 

 way to the older one by Boddaert. 



The geographical distribution of A. leticoptera may then be stated to 

 embrace China, at least from Shanghai southwards to Cochhi China, 

 Siam,*and Malacca. An accidental straggler (?) has been taken in North- 

 ern Japan, but 1 am not aware that this species has been recorded from 

 Formosa, or the Philippine Islands. Another solitary specimen, possi- 

 bly also a straggler, has recently been reported from Ussuri by Mr. 

 Taczanowski (Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 1886, p. 309). 



Measitretnents. 



95977 



85820 



85819 



86154 



107659 



Blakist., 2677. 



Jouv, 135 



Joiiy, 134 



Jouy, 217.... 

 Germain, 1276 



jun ... 

 o'.iun 

 <i jun. 

 ? jun. 

 d"juii- 



Locality. 



Hakodate, Tezo ... 

 Hong Kong, China 



do , 



do 



Cochin China 



Date. 



Oct. 12, 1879 . 

 Sept. 10,1881. 

 Sept. 16,1881. 

 Oct.—, 1881. 

 Sept. — , — . 



