Mr. H. Swinhoe on Formosan Ornithology. 417 



153. Platalea majoRj Schlegel, Faun. Japon. 



A pair or more of large Spoonbills were frequently to be seen, 

 the winter through, on the Tamsuy river. From their size I 

 take them to be of this species, but I did not obtain any speci- 

 mens. I may here remark that a specimen I procured in Swatow, 

 China, has no transverse grooves on the bill, and answers more 

 nearly to the Great Spoonbill of the ' Fauna Japonica ' than to 

 the European species. 



154. Ardea cinerea, L. 



A. leucophcBa, Gould, B. of Austr. vi. pi. 55. 

 A common resident species. 



155. Herodias alba, L. 



Ardea modesta, J. E. Gray. 



Common in winter, and probably the year through, though 

 I have no evidence of any breeding with us. This large white 

 species in my Canton List was wrongly referred by the editor 

 of the ' Ibis ' to H. intermedia. The large Egret of South China 

 is the Ardea modesta, Gray, which Mr. Blyth considers identical 

 with H. alba of Europe. 



156. Herodias garzetta, L. 



A very common resident species, associating, especially in 

 summer, in large flocks, and breeding in company in our bamboo- 

 and other plantations. I procured, on the 14th March, a fine 

 male in full plumage, of which I made the following note : — 

 " Entire length 24^ in. ; wing 10|; tail 3|, of 12 nearly equal 

 feathers. Upper mandible, edge and apical half of lower, black; 

 the remainder of lower pale grey, becoming flesh-colour towards 

 base. Cere pale greenish yellow ; eyelid greyish blue and semi- 

 transparent, the eye appearing through ; the edges of the eyelids 

 yellow, with an inner narrow edge of blackish. Iris clear light 

 yellow, having an outer circle of golden, the whole bounded by 

 greyish black. Inside of mouth flesh-colour, the tongue being 

 yellowish, and the sides of the roof and the angle of rictus being 

 yellow ; the roof of upper mandible and the inside of the crura of 

 lower black. Skin about ear smoke-grey ; ear-covert roundish, 

 about Y^ in. wide, the aperture occupying the semicircle nearest 



