486 CICONIA NIG11A. 



are small, surrounded by a bare space of small extent. The 

 aperture of the ear roundish and rather large. 



The legs are very long, and rather slender ; the tibia bare 

 for about half its length, reticulated with hexagonal scales ; 

 the tarsus long, compressed, reticulated all round. The 

 hind toe is small and slightly elevated ; the anterior toes of 

 moderate length, webbed at the base, the outer web much 

 larger ; all scutellate, but at the base more or less reticulate. 

 On the first toe are six, on the second sixteen, on the third 

 thirty, on the fourth twenty-eight scutella. The claws 

 are small, arcuato-declinate, compressed, toward the end 

 depressed, obtuse ; the inner edge of the third not serrate. 



The plumage is moderately full, generally compact. The 

 loral spaces are partially bare. The feathers of the head and 

 neck are small and oblong ; those of the lower anterior part 

 of the neck moderately elongated ; on the other parts large 

 and ovato-oblong ; some of the scapulars very large, broad, 

 and rounded. The wings are long and broad, of thirty quills, 

 and when closed reach to the end of the tail ; the first quill 

 nearly an inch shorter than the second, the second and third 

 longest ; the secondaries very broad and rounded, the inner 

 elongated. The tail is of moderate length and rounded. 



The bill and bare space around the eyes are orange-red ; 

 the iris brown ; the feet orange-red, the claws brown. The 

 head, the neck all round, the back, wings, and tail, are 

 brownish-black, glossed with purple and green, the lower 

 parts white. 



Length to end of tail 38 inches ; wing from flexure 20^ ; 

 tail 8 ; bill along the ridge 7^, along the edge of lower man- 

 dible 8 j ; bare part of tibia 4£, tarsus 8j ; first toe \4y, its 

 claw -ft ; second toe 2^, its claw -fa ; third toe S-fa, its claw 

 ■fj ; fourth toe 2]±, its claw -j3j. 



Female. — The female is similar to the male. 



Habits. — This species is generally dispersed over the 

 eastern and middle parts of the continent, and occurs occa- 

 sionally in the northern and western. It is said to live in 

 wooded marshes, and to feed on fishes, frogs, and insects. 



