194 ARDEID.E. 



neck at the bottom, and the back, rich buft'-colour ; inter- 

 scapulars reddish-brown; the feathers of the back elongated; 

 the webs disunited, each filament having the appearance of 

 a single hair, from which circumstance the term comata, — 

 hairy — has been applied to it ; the colour a pale reddish- 

 brown in those upon the surface, passing into a delicate buff- 

 colour in those underneath ; the wings white, the ends of 

 some of the coverts and tertials being tinged with buff ; 

 rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail-feathers, white ; chin, 

 throat, belly, under surface of the wings, the axillary plume, 

 vent, and under-surface of the tail-feathers, pure white ; legs 

 yellowish-pink ; toes yellow underneath ; claws black. The 

 breeding-plumage is sometimes not attained until late ; birds 

 shot by the Editor in Andalucia up to the 21st May being 

 still very ragged about the neck. 



The whole length, from the point of the beak to the end 

 of the tail, is about nineteen inches ; from the carpal joint 

 to the end of the wing, nine inches. 



The sexes resemble each other at the same age, but the 

 plumes are more developed in the male. 



In the immatui-e plumage, which is the more frequently 

 seen in this country, the descending dusky-grey streaks on 

 the feathers of the neck are longer and broader, and the 

 lighter ground-colour is mixed with ashy-brown ; the wing- 

 coverts are tinged with buff; the back, and the ends of the 

 tertials, are wood-brown ; and the younger the specimen, the 

 darker are the feathers along the middle line of the back. 



A nestling from Astrachan, belonging to Mr. E. Bidwell, 

 is covered with down of a dull buft'-colour on the upper parts, 

 and of a dirty white below. 



