388 -AEDEID^E. 



feathers also lengthened and lanceolate, not decomposed, and a crest 

 of two long attenuated feathers. All of these are wanting at other 

 times. 



Bill black at all seasons, base of lower mandible yellowish ; facial 

 skin greenish yellow ; iris yellow ; tarsus black, toes mixed yellow- 

 ish and black (Oates} ; toes yellow or greenish yellow (Jerdon). 



Length about 25 : tail 3'75 ; wing 11 : tarsus 4 ; bill from gape 4. 



Fig. 91. Head of H. garzetta. 



Distribution. Southern Europe, the whole of Africa and Southern 

 Asia to China and Japan, the Malay Archipelago and Australia 

 being inhabited by a doubtfully separable form. Common through- 

 out India, Ceylon, and Burma. 



Habits, $c. The Little Egret breeds at the same time and in 

 the same manner as the other species, and in company with them. 

 Its eggs are more numerous, frequently 5 or 6 in a nest, they are 

 smaller and measure 1-73 by 1-32. 



I have examined the skin from Amherst near Moulmein referred 

 to H. eulophotes by Hume. It is certainly not Lepterodius sacer 

 (with which H. eulophotes, Swinhoe, is identified, rightly I believe, 

 by Sharpe). It is probably an abnormally small specimen of H. gar- 

 zetta. having a tarsus only 3-1 in. long. H. nigripes, Temrn. (H. 

 immaculata,Qou\d), inhabiting the Malay Archipelago and Australia, 

 has been separated from H. garzetta for various reasons, none of 

 which, so far as I can ascertain, are valid. 



Genus BUBTILCUS, Bonap., 1854. 



This is distinguished from Herodias by shorter bill and feet, by 

 the nude portion of the tibia being shorter than the inner toe 

 without claw, and by the changes in the breeding-season being 

 quite different. The culm en is much shorter than the middle toe 

 and claw, and these are shorter than the tarsus. In non-breeding 

 plumage birds of this genus are pure white, but in the breeding- 

 season buff hair-like plumes appear on the head, neck, and back. 

 The habits of the present genus differ greatly from those ot Herodias. 



Only two species are known ; they inhabit the warmer parts 

 o Europe and Asia, and the whole of Africa. One species is 

 Indian. 



