t). MELANOPHOTX. 105 



Ayres, Ibis, 1878, p. 299; Milne-Edw. 8r Grandid. Hist. Nat. 



Madag., Ois. p. 547, pi. ccxxv. (1877-81) ; Socage, Oni. Angola, 



p. 440 (1881: Eio Ooroca; Humbe) ; Sibree, Ibis, 1892, p. 18; 



Reichen. Vog. BcutscJi-Ost-Afr. p. Go (1894 : Bagamoyo) ; 



S/ielkg, Ibis, 1894, p. 27 (Lake Shivwa). 

 Ardea calceolata, I)ii Bus, Bull. R. Acad. Bnix. iv. p. 40, pi. 2 



(1838: Gulf of Guinea) ; Less. Compl. Buf. ix. p. 457 (1837h 



Gray, Gen. B. iii. p. 556 (1847); Hartl.' Oni. W.-Afr. p. 222 



(1857 : Guinea) ; id. J.f. O. 1861, p. 269 (Keta, Slave Coast). 

 .\rdea flavimana, Sundev. CEfv. K. Vet.-Akad. Fork. Stockh. 1850, 



p. Ill ; Lai/ard, B. ,S. Afr. p. 307 (1867). 

 Herodias ardesiaca, Hartl'. J. f. O. 1854, pp. 290, 510, 513; Bp. 



Consj). ii. p. 122 (1855); Henql. Sgsf. Uebers. p. 58 (White Nile). 

 Herodias calceolata, Hartl. J. f. O. 1854, pp. 290, 510, 513 ; Bp. 



Consp. ii. p. 123 (1855) ; Kirk, Ibis, 1864, p. 333. 

 Egretta concolor, Heuql. Sg.tf. Uebers. p. 58 (1856: Sobat River). 

 " Ardea puella, Wiirti:' teste Heugl. J.f. O. 1867, p. 303. 



• Adult male. General colour above and below dark slaty black, the 

 long ornamental feathers of the back and scapulars, as -well as those 

 on the fore-neck, clearer slaty grey ; fore part of crown clearer slate- 

 colour, the hinder crown with a beautifiil ornamental crest of slaty 

 black feathers, these being lanceolate and elongated ; the primaries 

 shaded with slaty grey ; breast and abdomen cleai'er slate-colour : 

 " bill black ; tarsi and feet dull greenish yellow, bare part of thighs 

 ashy ; iris bright yellow " {T. Ayres). Total length IT'S inches, 

 culmen 2-6, wing 9-7, tail 'i-Q, tarsus 3'1, 



Young. Similar to the adult, but without the ornamental plumes 

 on the crest or fore-neck ; the upper surface blacker, and without 

 the long plumes of slaty grey ; throat black like the rest of the 

 under surface ; tibia) and tarsi black ; toes yellow. 



Hah. The greater part of Tropical Africa. 



a. S ad. sk. Potchefstroom, Feb. 27 {T. Gurney Coll. 



Ayres). 



b. S juv. sk. Potchefstroom {F. A. Barratt). Sharpe Coll. 



c. Juv. sk. Lower Shire Valley (-SV/' J. Livingstone Expedi- 



Kirk). tion. 



d. e. Ad. sk. Lake Shirwa, Nya?sa-land, H. H. Johnston, Esq. 



Dec. {A. Wiyte). C.B. [P.]. 



2. Melanophoyx vinaceigula. (Plate I. a.) 



Ardea ardesiaca, pt., Gurney, Ibis, 1871, p. 264; Sharpe, ed. Layard^s 

 B. S. Afr. p. 713 (1884). 



Adult male. Similar to J/. arcZ^^iaca, but having the throat vinous 

 red : " tarsi and feet greenish grey " {T. Ayres). Total length 

 16'o inches, culmen 2 25, wing 9, tail 3"65, tarsus 3'05. 



Two specimens of this apparently undescribed species are in the 

 Museum, where they have been considered to be the young of 

 A. ardesiaca. This, however, cannot be the case, because we have 

 a veritable young bird of the latter also in the Collection, and it not 

 only has the throat black, but the toes yellow, as in the adults. 



