92 AEJ)EID3S. , 



(1884 : breeding) ; Murray, Vertebr. Faun. Sind, p. 270 (1884) ; 



Parker, Ibis, 1886, p. 188 (Cevlon) ; Salmd. Elenco Ucc. Ital. 



p. 242 (1887) ; Si/monds, Ibis, 1887, p. 335 (Kroonstad) ; Oates ed. 



Hume's Nest ^- Eijgs Ind. B. iii. p. 237 (1890) ; Sharps, Hep. 2nd 



Yark. Miss., Aves, p. 125 (1891). 

 Herodias modesta, Gray, List Grallm Brit. Miis. p. 77 (1844) ; id. 



Cat. Mamm. etc. Nepal pres. Hodgs. p. 134 (1846). 

 Herodias flavirostris, Gray, List Gralla Brit. Mus. p. 78 (1844: 



Gambia) ; G^irne^i, Ibis, 1859, p. 249, 1860. p. 205. 

 Egretta modesta, Hodys. Icon. ined. in Brit. Mus. Grallee, jA. 65, 



no. 794 ; id. in Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 86 (1844) ; Bp. Consp. Av. 



ii. p. 117 (1855). 

 Herodias latiefii et Herodias bracbyrhynchus, Brehm, J.f. 0. 1854, 



p. 80. 

 Egretta melanorbjTieha, Bp. Consp. A v. ii. p. 117 (1855). __ 

 Ardea magnifica, Verr. {ubi?) teste Bp. Consp. Av. ii. p. 116 



(1855). 

 Ardea flavirostris {nee Wagl), Hartl. Orn. W.-Afr. p. 220 (1857 : 



Gambia ; Asbantee ; Gaboon ; Mozambique). 

 Egretta flavirostris (nee WagL), Cass. Proc. Philad. Acad. 1859, 



p. 173 (Gamma River) ; Antin. Cat. descr. Ucc. p. 103 (1864 : 



Senaar; Kordofan ; Gazelle K.). 

 Ardea alba, /3. melanorbyncba, Serertz. Turkest. Jevotn. p. 68 (1873). 

 Herodias torra, Butler, Cat. B. Sind etc. p. 69 (1879) ; id. Cat. B. 



S. Bomb. Pres. p. 82 (1880). 



Adult male in hreedinff-jjhimage. Entirely pure white all over, 

 with a bunch of elongated plumes on the back, the feathers on the 

 fore-neck and sides of upper breast also fully developed and forming 

 a shield on the sides of the latter: " bill black ; lores and orbits 

 pale green ; feet blackish, tibiae paler; iris yellow " (FT. Saunders). 

 Total length about 44 inches, culmeu 5*5, wing 15'8, tail 6"5, 

 tarsus 7'75. 



Young. Everywhere white like the adult, but the plumage softer 

 and more downy, and of course devoid of the ornamental plumes ; 

 bill yellow, dusky at tip (in skin). 



Winter jylumage. White as in summer, but without the ornamental 

 plumes and with a yellow bill. 



The series of specimens in the Hume collection from Delhi was 

 collected by that well-known naturalist, Maj or C. T. Bingham. He 

 very carefully measured the specimens in the flesh, and I find that 

 his dimensions for the tarsus vary slightly from my own, which 

 have been taken from the skins. A male procured by Major 

 Bingham on the 28th of April had the tarsus 8-25 inches and the 

 bill from gape 6-5. The bird is in full A\anter plumage with no 

 ornamental dorsal plumes, and had the following soft parts : " bill 

 yellow, orbital skin and skin of cheeks greenish yellow ; legs, feet, 

 and claws inky black, iris bright yellow" (C. T. Blnrfham). 



In June, Major Bingham collected three males and two females. 

 One male, shot on the 17th of June, is beginning to don the 

 ornamental plumes, but still has the bill yellow; in life, however, 

 the bird was described as having "the upper mandible and orbits 

 black, the lower mandible yellow, legs and feet black, and iris 

 yellow. Tarsus 6"9, and bill from gape 5'5." Another male killed 



