1«S7.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 313 



similar to A. ^jurpurea, " sed valde mai^jor." Size appears, therefore, 

 to be a poor diagnostic character iu these birds. I may add that 

 our Transvaal specimen has the back much more bronzy than the other 

 specimens, but is otherwise like those from Hungary. 



HERODIAS BoiE. 



1822.— Herodias Boie. Isis, 1S2'^, p. 559 (type A. egretfa Gm. ?). 



1828.— iejjfej-offirtgEiiREXBERG, Symb. Phys. (typeX. iSc/i(.s/rtce«EHR.),(_^^eEeiclienow). 



1329.— Garzetia Kaup, Entw. Eur. Thierw., p. 76 (type A. (jarzeUa Lix.). 



ISZO. —Egreita Bonapakte, Sulla Sec. Ed. Regno Anim. Cuv., p. 97 (type A. egretta 



Gm.). 

 IS\2. —Erodius Macoillivray, Man. Br. B., II, p. 130 (type A. alba Lin.). 

 1842. — Cosmerodius Gloger, Handb. Naturg. (p. 412), (same type). 



Si/nopais of the Japanese species of the genus HEBODIAS 



AT ALL SEASONS. 



a'. Feathering on sides of lower mandibie reaches beyond frontal apes ; wing, more 

 than 330™'" (Herodias). 



¥. Wing more than 400™"' ....H. alba. 



h'. Wing less than 400ni™ H, modesta. 



a-. Feathering on sides of lower mandible not beyond frontal apex ; wing less than 

 330""" (Garzetta). 



6'. Exposed culmen shorter than middle toe, with claw H. inttrmedia. 



6^. Exposed culmen longer than middle toe, with claw. 



c^. Bill black ; toes [usually] light yellow E. garzetta. 



c^. Bill yellowish or greenish ; toes dark colored IB. enlophotes.'\ 



ADULTS IN FULL BREEDING PLUMAGE. 



a'. Without long pectoral plumes (Herodias'). 



¥. Wing more than 400'"'" H. alba. 



b-. AVing less than 400'"™ H. modesta. 



a^. With long pendant pectoral plumes (Garzetta). 



¥. No occipital crest of elongated plumes; pectoral plumes with decomposed web& 



of hair-like barbs H. intermedia, 



b'. With an occipital crest; pectoral plumes narrow and pointed, but with ordinary 

 webs. 

 c'. Occipital crest consisting of two or three very long and band-like feathers ; bill 



hlack E. garzetta. 



C-. Occipital crest of numerous narrow and pointed plumes; bill yel- 

 low IB. eulophotes.l 



(134i.) Herodias alba (Linn.). 



Great Egret. ? 0-sagi. 



lloS.—Ardea alba Linn., S. N., 10 ed., I, p. 144.— M, S. N.,12 ed., I, p. 239 (1766).— 

 Eerodias a. Gray, List Spec. B. Br. Mus., Ill, p. 77 (1844).— Blakiston, 

 Chrysanth., April. 1883, p. 173.— /fZ., Amend. List B. Jap., p. 40 (1884). 



1774. —Ardea egrettoides S. G. Gmelin, Reise Russl., II (p. 193, pi. 25). 



1S03.— A rdea eg relta Bechstein, Orn. Taschb., p. 261 {nee G.mel., 1788). 



1829.— Lepferodatis flavirostris Eiirenberg, Symb. Phys. Aves (fol. m). 



1831.— Eerodias Candida Brehai, Handb. Vog. Deutschl., p. 584. 



lS42.—Erodius victoriw Macgillivray, Man. Br. Orn., II, p. 131. 



18o2- —Egretta nigrirostris Macgillivray, Hist. Br. B., IV, p. 460. 



1882.— Eerodias modesta Blakiston & Pryer, Tr. As. Soc. Jap., X, 1832, p. 119 (part). 



