THE CHINESE POND-HERON. 253 



618. ARDEOLA PRASINOSCELES. 

 THE CHINESE POND-HERON. 



Ardeola prasinosceles, Swinh. Ibis, 1860, p. 64 ; id. P. Z. 8. 187], p. 413 ; Hume, 

 S. F. ii. p. 483 ; BL B. Burm. p. 160 ; David ei Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 443 ; Hume 

 8f Dav. S. F. vi. p. 481 ; Anders. Yunnan Exped. p. 689 ; Hume, S. F. viii. 

 p. 114. Ardea leucoptera, apud Hume, S. F. viii. p. 161. 



Description. Male and female in summer plumage. Chin and throat pure 

 white ; the whole head, a long pointed occipital crest and the whole neck 

 rich vinous chestnut ; breast-feathers very long and soft, deep chestnut 

 tinged with purple; remainder of lower plumage white; back and 

 scapulars with very long disintegrated feathers black tinged with purple ; 

 the whole of the wings, tail, rump and upper tail-coverts white ; the wing- 

 coverts slightly tinged with buff, and the primaries mottled with brown at 

 their tips. 



In nonbreeding-plumage both sexes resemble A. grayi very closely ; the 

 back, scapulars and tertiaries are, however, a richer brown with a tinge of 

 chocolate or rufous, whereas in A. grayi these parts are a plain brown tinged 

 with ashy. 



Length about 18 inches, tail 3*1, wing 8'6, tarsus 2'2, bill from gape 3*4, 

 crest 4. 



1 have drawn up the above description from a series of Mr. Swinhoe's 

 birds in Mr. Seebohnr's collection. The only point of difference that I 

 can find in the rionbreeding-plumage between this and the preceding 

 species is that pointed out above. 



In a male bird shot by Mr. Davison in April the irides were bright 

 yellow ; one third of the bill from tip black, then yellow, gradually 

 shading to pale blue at the base of upper mandible; facial skin, gape 

 and base of lower mandible greenish yellow ; feet pale orange ; legs and 

 nude portions of tibia similar, but with a pinkish tinge; claws pale 

 brownish green. 



An allied species from Java and Borneo is A. speciosa ; in breeding- 

 plumage it has the head, back and sides of the neck pale ferruginous buff, 

 the crest white, and the breast chestnut. 



The Chinese Pond- Heron was obtained by Mr. Davison in the southern 

 portion of Tenasserim, where it appears to be rare. 



It is met with in Southern China and in Cochin China ; and Mr. Davison 

 observed it at Tonka in the Malay peninsula. Dr. Anderson also procured 

 it at Bhamo in Independent Burmah. 



Plate 911 of the PI. Enlum. represents an Ardeola in winter plumage; 

 and it will always, I imagine, remain a matter of doubt to which of the 



