56 ARDEID35 ARDEA 



Xnfnl B. p. 196 (1899); Alexander, Ibis, 1900, p. 440; Ecicliciwu\ 

 Vog. Ajr. i, p. 376 (1901) ; Gates, Cat. B. Eggs, ii, p. 112 (1902). 



Description. Adult. Crown of the head, back and sides of the 

 neck rich rufous brown ; chin and throat white ; a black band, 

 narrow above, becoming wider below along the front of the lower half 

 of the neck, the feathers lower down mottled black and white, and 

 elongated into narrow dependent plumes ; back, wings, tail and 

 sides of the lower neck and of the breast slaty, some of the feathers 

 of the back and breast elongated and produced ; edge of the wing 

 varied with white and rufous ; whole of the under parts rich maroon. 



Iris bright gamboge yellow ; bill black, lower part of the lower 

 mandible pale horny, skin round the eye yellowish-green ; legs and 

 feet black. Length 53 ; wing 22-5 ; tail 9-0 ; culmen 6-5 ; tarsus 

 8-0; middle toe 5-75. 



The young bird is much duller than the adult ; the wing- coverts 

 are all tipped with rusty rufous ; the breast is white, broadly 

 streaked with rusty edges to the feathers, 



Distribution. The Goliath is found throughout the greater part 

 of Africa from Senegal in the west and from the neighbourhood of 

 Suakim in the east, southwards to Cape Colony. It has also been 

 met with in Madagascar. It has only once been obtained in India, 

 many years ago, and twice in Ceylon. 



In South Africa it is nowhere common, though generally dis- 

 tributed in suitable localities. It appears to be plentiful near 

 Potchefstroom, where several observers have seen or obtained 

 specimens. 



The following are localities : Cape Colony Zoetendals vlei, in 

 Bredasdorp (reported by Verreaux and Atmore), near East London, 

 October (Wood), near Port St. Johns (Shortridge), Orange Eiver 

 near Upington (Bradshaw) ; Natal Durban Harbour (Ayres and 

 Gordge), Ifafa (Woodward), Newcastle district, breeding October, 

 (Butler and Eeid) ; Transvaal near Potchefstroom, in Mooi Elver 

 swamps (Arnot in S. A. Mus., Barratt, Ayres and Eoberts) ; Bechuana- 

 land Botletli Eiver and Lake Ngami ( Andersson) ; Ehodesia Chobe 

 Eiver swamps (Bradshaw), Mashonaland, only seen (Ayres) ; Ger 

 man South-west Africa Okavango Eiver and Damaraland, in rains 

 (Andersson) ; Portuguese East Africa Zambesi (Alexander and 

 Kirk). 



Habits. This bird, the largest and finest of all the world's 

 Herons, is not gregarious, and is generally seen singly or in pairs ; it 

 haunts the mouths of the rivers and bays along the coast, and is 



