84 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



Botaurus comatus, Macg. Br. B. iv. p. 428 (1852). 

 Ardea comata, Seebohm, Br. B. ii. p. 486 (1884). 

 Ardeola ralloides, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 202. 



Adult Male in Breeding Plumage, General colour of the back 

 pale vinous, including the ornamental plumes ; the wings and 

 tail white, the coverts with a slight yellowish shade, the inner 

 secondaries also tinged with ochreous-yellow ; entire head and 

 neck pale straw-colour, inclining to golden buff on the lower 

 hind-neck, as well as on the throat, fore-neck, and plumes on 

 the sides of the neck and those on the sides of the chest ; 

 the feathers on the head and hind-neck narrowly edged 

 with black lines, these lines being sub-marginal on the elon- 

 gated nuchal plumes, the longest of which are white at the 

 ends ; chin white ; on the throat and fore-neck some scanty 

 lines of dusky-blackish, which are sub-marginal, as on the 

 nuchal plumes ; bill, according to Mr. Howard Saunders, 

 cobalt-blue at the base, black at the point; feet yellowish- 

 pink, the soles yellow; bare loral skin green; iris yellow. 

 Total length, 21*0 inches; culmen, 2*6; wing, 9-2; tail, 3^2; 

 tarsus, 27 ; middle toe and claw, 2*8. 



Adult Female. Similar to the male, but smaller, with a some- 

 what shorter crest and the dorsal train not so fully developed. 

 Total length, 19 inches; wing, 8'i. Specimens in the British 

 Museum show that the breeding-plumage is sometimes not 

 assumed by the end of April. Mr. Howard Saunders says 

 that this is usually the case in dry seasons, and it is evident 

 that the birds return to Europe still in their winter dress. 



Adults in Winter Plumage. Earthy-brown on the back and 

 scapulars, with some yellowish shaft-stripes on the latter ; the 

 lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts white like the tail ; 

 wings white, the coverts washed with ochreous-buff, the inner 

 secondaries earthy-brown like the back; head, neck, and under- 

 parts as in the summer plumage, but the crest plumes not so 

 developed, and of the same colour as the crown ; the long 

 nape-plumes not developed; bill dark sap-green, feet darker; 

 claws black ; iris yellow ; loral space green. 



Young Birds. Resemble the winter plumage of the adult, but 

 are at once distinguished by the black shafts to the primaries, 

 which are washed or dusted with ashy-brown on the outer 



