22 



BULLETIN" 15 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



In some individuals the tail is slightly forked ; that is, the lateral 

 rectrices are a few millimeters longer than the median ones, but in 

 the majority of specimens the tail is square. 



Buhulcus corornandus (Boddaert) is often considered as a race of 

 B. ibis, as, for example, in Hartert's " Vogel der Palaarktischen 

 Fauna " -^ but there seem to be no intermediates known between 

 coromandiis and ibis and therefore they may as well be considered 

 specifically distinct. 



The cattle heron is widely distributed over the African continent, 

 southern Europe, and western Asia, and is remarkably uniform in 

 size and color throughout its enormous range. Erlanger -^ found it 

 to be very common in Gallaland and Shoa. Mearns noted it in num- 

 bers at the following places: Black or North Lake Abaya March 

 18-20, 128 birds; Lake Rudolf July 5-8, 100 seen; Le-se-dun July 

 26, 4 seen ;■ Lekiundu River, August 1, 8 birds. 



ARDEOLA RALLOIDES (Scopoli) 



Ardea ralloides Scopoli, Annus I. Hist. -Nat. p. 88, 1769 : Carniola. 



/Specimens collected: 



One unsexed, Ourso, Ethiopia, October 25^ 1911. 



The single specimen collected is not fully adult as it has black 

 shafts in the primaries and has some of the rectrices washed with 

 grayish. Otherwise it resembles the winter plumage of the adult. 

 The variations in size of this species are indicated by the following 

 measurements. Judging by its size the present specimen seems to be 

 a male. 



»Vol. 2, p. 1244. 



«Jourii. f. Ornlth., 1905, p. 108. 



