170 Messrs. S. Roch and E. Newton on Birds 



54. ? Ardea purpurea, Linn. ; Hartl. p. 73. 



We several times saw, and occasionally killed, a species much 

 resembling the European Purple Heron. Unfortunately, as in 

 the case of the preceding, all the skins were destroyed. 



55. Ardea ELEG4NS, J. Verreaux; Hartl. p. 73. 



" I shot one at Farafata, about five miles to the north-west of 

 Tamatave. Unlike other birds of its genus, it flies with its 

 neck stretched out. I saw a pair, but only obtained one of 

 them."— S. R. 



56. Ardea bubulcus, Savigny ; Hartl. p. 74. 



" At Antananarivo, on the 20th of October, a man brought me 

 a female of this species alive. Iris yellow ; lore greenish yellow ; 

 lower mandible reddish ; legs brown." — E. N. 



" At Farafata I saw several of a small Egret, apparently the 

 last named, taking short flights from bush to bush by the 

 side of the lake."— S. R. 



57. Ardea ruficrista, Verreaux ; Hartl. p. 74. "Voron- 

 coonche." 



Very common in the neighbourhood of Tamatave. We almost 

 daily observed flocks of white Egrets on our journey up the 

 country, even as far as the Mangourou, more than one hundred 

 miles from the coast : they were in constant attendance on 

 herds of cattle, from whose skins they would dexterously pick 

 off" the ticks and carapats. 



" I also observed that, whenever the natives burnt brushwood 

 or grass-land, these birds collected in numbers in the very smoke, 

 to catch any insects that were thus driven from their resting- 

 places. This species has the iris yellow." — S. R. 



58. Scopus UMBRETTA, Gmelin; Hartl. p. 76. " Thakat." 

 We first saw this species on the 15th of October, when about 



fifteen miles from the capital. Its flight is not Heron-like ; the 

 head only is somewhat drawn in, and the legs are drawn up. 

 At first sight, one is apt to take them for very short-tailed Eagles 

 or Hawks; and hopes of Helotarsus ecaudatus came across us as 

 we saw them. Colonel Middleton, our chief, saw one of them 

 carrying a stick to its nest, and he afterwards shot the bird. 



