490 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on Birds from Fao. 



74. Crex crex (L.). 



Crex pratensis, Blanf. /. c. p. 288. 



[The Corn- Crake arrives in April. A stray bird is to be 

 met with in June and July. They begin to increase in 

 numbers from August, but lessen again towards mid 

 November. By the commencement of December they 

 appear to have all gone.] 



75. Ardea cinerea, L. ; Blanf. t. c. p. 295. 

 [Resident^ breeding near Abdulla Bank.] 



7Q>. Ardea purpurea, L. ; Blanf. i. c. p. 295. 



No. 41. Two young specimens. 



[Resident, breeding in March and April near Abdulla 



Bank.] 



77. Ardetta minuta (L.) ; Blanf. t. c. p. 296. 



[No. 93. I cannot say I have seen this bird often, as it 

 is very shy, but have heard its call throughout spring and 

 summer immediately after sunset. The one sent to the 

 Museum was caught alive in an old watercourse, where it 

 was hiding in a hole on one side of the embankment.] 



78. Demiegretta gularis, Bosc ; Hume, Str. F. 1879, 

 p. 114. 



No. 11. An adult in worn grey plumage, and a second 

 specimen in white plumage with remains of ashy feathers. 



79. Demiegretta asha. 

 [No. 11. Permanent resident. 



In young birds the plumage is white, beginning to change 

 about the fifth month, and by the eighth month they have 

 completed their ashy plumage. 



In April 1884, out of a consignment of eggs of D. asha 

 brought from the Korseit side, there were several hatched in 

 the boxes in which they were packed ; from these I took half 

 a dozen to try and bring up by hand. With great trouble I 

 succeeded with three, feeding them with finely chopped 

 mudfish (Gobius viridipu7ictatus and G. polynema). They 

 became quite domesticated, and would fly all about the 



