HERODIAS. 387 



Oates, B. B. ii, p. 247 : id. in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. iii. p. 240; 



Sanies, Birds Bom. p. 379 ; id. Jour. Bom. N. H. Soc. vi, p. 144 ; 



Hume $ Cripps, S. F. xi, p. 333. 

 Herodias egrettoides, Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 745 ; Ball, J. A. S. B. xli, 



pt. 2, p. 289 ; id. S. F. i, p. 87 ; Fairbank, S. F. iv, p. 263. 

 Mesophoyx intermedia, Sharpe, Bull. B. O. C. iii, p. xxxviii (1894) j 



id. Cat. B. M. xxvi, p. 85. 



Patanc/kha or Patokha bagla, Karchia-bagla, H. ; Puru-wallai-koku y 

 Tarn. (Ceylon). 



Coloration. Pure white. In the breeding-season a long dorsal 

 train is developed, reaching nearly to the ground and sometimes 

 17 inches long; pectoral plumes, also decomposed, are well developed, 

 but no crest. 



Bill in breeding-season black, facial skin green, iris yellow, legs 

 and toes black (Gates) ; tibia yellowish brown (Legge). Out of the 

 breeding-season, the bill is yellow with the tip dusky, orbital 

 skin greenish yellow. 



Length about 26 ; tail 5 ; wing 12 ; tarsus 4-5 ; bill from gape 3*75. 



Distribution. Throughout India, Ceylon, and Northern Burma, 

 somewhat unevenly distributed ; not recorded from Tenasserim, 

 though found in the Andaman Islands, Malay Peninsula and 

 Islands to Java and the Philippines, and in China and Japan. 

 Allied races occur in Africa and Australia. 



Habits, tyc. This Egret breeds in Northern India in July and 

 August, but in Ceylon about December. The nests are closely 

 packed together and are often on trees in towns. The eggs are pale 

 bluish green, four in number, and measure about 1-9 by 1-44. 



1561. Herodias garzetta. The Little Egret. 



Ardea garzetta, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 237 (1766) ; Hume, N. $ E. 



p. 616 ; Doig, S. F. vii, p. 467. 

 Herodias garzetta, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 559; Blyth, Cat. ^. 279; 



Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 746 ; Tytler, Ibis, 1867, p. 333 ; Hume, S. F. 



i, p. 253 ; Adam, ibid. p. 399 ; Hume, S. F. ii, p. 304 ; iii, p. 190 ; 



Butler, S. F. iv, p. 23 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi, p. 476 ; Ball, S. F. 



vii, p. 230 ; Cripps, ibid. p. 307 ; Hume, Cat. no. 927 ; Scully, S. F. 



viii, p. 360 ; Doig, ibid. p. 372 ; Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 1144 ; Anders. 



Yunnan Exped., Aves, p. 688 ; Vi'dal, S. F. ix, p. 88 ; Butler, ibid. 



p. 433 ; Reid, S. F. x, p. 75 ; Davidson, ibid. p. 323 ; Hume, ibid. 



p. 416 ; Oates, B. B. ii, p. 248 ; id. in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. iii, 



p. 242 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 380 ; id. Jour. Bom. N. H. Soc. 



vi, p. 144 ; Hume fy Cripps, S. F. xi, p. 333. 

 ? Herodias immaculata, apud Blyth,J. A.S. B. xxi. p. 437 : id. Ibis. 



1865, p. 37; ? nee Gould. 

 ? Herodias eulophotes, apud Hume, S. F. vi, p. 478 ; id. Cat. no. 927 



bis ; Oates, B. B. ii, p. 249 ; nee Swinh. ? 

 Garzetta garzetta, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxvi, p. 118. 



Kilchia or Karchia bayla t H. ; Nella nucha konga, Tel. ; Sudu-koka, 

 ing. 



Coloration. Pure white, The dorsal plumes greatly elongated in 

 the breeding-season, decomposed and turned up at the end ; pectoraJ 



2o2 



