ARDEID^. 741 



the longest about 7 or 8 inches ; quills and tail dark slaty ; the 

 sides of the head and neck slightly tinged with rufous ; the 

 elongated breast plumes fine silvery-grey, edged with dusky at the 

 base ; the rest of the lower parts mingled ashy and rufous ; 

 scapulars elongated, lanceolate, tipped with silvery grey. 



Bill dusky above, yellow at the gape and bottom of the lower 

 mandible ; feet dark greenish-grey. Length 46 inches ; wing 19 ; 

 tail 6^ ; bill at front 7 ; tarsus 7 ; middle toe and claw 4^. Stands 

 a little more than 3 feet high. 



The tertiaries, in the closed wing, are about equal to the 

 primaries, and both are on a level with the tip of the tail. The 

 young bird is pale vinous-brown above, the lower surface greyish- 

 brown, the feathers of the lower neck and breast streaked with 

 white. 



This large Heron has been found in the North-eastern part of 

 Bengal, in Nepal, the Sikim Terai, and Assam, and is more 

 common in Arrakan, thence extending to Malayana, and even to 

 Australia. I observed it between Dacca and Sylhet, but did 

 not procure a specimen. A drawing, apparently of this species, 

 is among those made by Sir A. Burnes in Sindh, and it may 

 therefore be looked for in other parts of India, perhaps chiefly 

 near the sea coast. 



The type of this group is Typlion robusta, S. Miiller, {A. 

 typhon, Temminck ; PI. CI. 475) from Timor, and some of the 

 other Malayan isles, if indeed this be distinct from our bird. 



The next group is that of restricted Ardea, in which the bill 

 is nearly conical, and the birds of large size and grey plumage. 



923. Ardea cinerea, Linnaeus. 



Bltth, Cat. 1636— Jerdon, Cat. 300— Sykes, Cat. 172— 

 Gould, Birds of Europe, pi. 273— A. brag, Jacquemont, Atlas 

 pi. — Kabud, H. — Anjan, and Sada kanka, Beng. — Saa, Sindh 

 • — Khyra^ in Behar — Narraina pachi, Tel. — Narrayan, Tarn. 

 The Blue Heron. 



Descr. — Adult, forehead and crown pure white ; occiput black, 

 and a pendent crest of narrow, long, black feathers at the back 

 of the head ; neck white ; back and wings fine bluish-grey ; quills 



