ARDEOLA. 



Key to the Species. 



.a. Wing about 8 in. ; head and neck in breeding- 

 plumage brownish A. grayi, p. 393, 



.b. Wing about 9 in. ; head and neck in breeding- 

 plumage chestnut A. bacchus, p. 394. 



1565. Ardeola grayi. The Pond Heron. 



Ardea grayii, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 153 ; Gray in Hardw. III. Ind. 

 Zool. ii, pi. 48. 



Ardeola leucoptera, apud Blyth, Cat. p. 281 ; id. Ibis, 1865, p. 38 ; 

 1867, p. 172 ; Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 751 ; nee Bodd. 



Ardeola grayi, Hume t N. $ E. p. 619 ; id. S. F. i, p. 256 ; Adam, 

 ibid. p. 399 ; Hume, S. F. ii, p. 309 ; Butler, S. F. iv, p. 23 ; Arm- 

 strong, ibid. p. 350 ; Hume, ibid. p. 467 ; Hume fy Dav. S. F. vi, 

 p. 481 ; Hume, S. F. vii, p. 39 ; Ball, ibid. p. 230 ; Cripps, ibid. 

 p. 308 ; Hume, Cat. no. 930 ; Scully, S. F. viii, p. 361 ; Doig, ibid. 

 p. 372 ; Leyye. Birds Ceyl. p. 1150 ; Tidal, S. F. ix, p. 90 ; Butler, 

 ibid. p. 434; 'Barnes, ibid. p. 460 ; Reid, S. F. x, p. 76 ; Davison, 

 ibid. p. 416 ; Gates, B. B. ii, p. 252 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 381 ; 

 Hume, S. F. xi, p. 334 ; Gates in Humes N. 8f E. 2nd ed. iii, 

 p. 248 ; Barnes, Jour. Bom. N. H. Soc. i,p. 60 ; vi, p. 146 ; Munn, 

 Ibis, 1894, p. 69; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxvi, p. 207. 



Bagla, Andha-bagla, Chama-bagla, Kani-bagla, H. ; Khonch-bogla, 

 H. & B. ; Ral-puchdke, Gond ; Kokku, Tana. ; Gudi konga, Tel. ; Sana 

 koka, Cing. ; Hbyein-ouk, Burin. 



Coloration. In the breeding-season the head and neck are light 

 yellowish brown, the crown browner ; chin and throat white ; long 

 pointed lanceolate feathers, forming an occipital crest, also white ; 

 feathers of upper breast long, somewhat disintegrated, ashy brown, 

 with narrow whitish streaks ; back and inner scapulars very long, 

 decomposed, deep maroon, blackish or dark slaty towards the ends ; 

 outer scapulars brownish buff; remainder of body, wings, and tail 

 white, tips of first primaries tinged brownish. 



In non-breeding dress the head and neck are dark brown, 

 streaked with pale yellowish buff, crown darker ; fore neck paler, 

 ,and with the buff predominating ; chin and throat white ; upper 

 breast white, streaked with brown ; back, scapulars, and tertiaries 

 ashy brown, with pale yellowish shaft-stripes on the scapulars ; 

 rest of plumage white. 



Bill blue at the base, yellowish in the middle and edges, and 

 black at the tip ; orbits greenish yellow ; irides bright yellow ; 

 legs and feet dull green (Jerdon). 



Length 18 ; tail 3 ; wing 8 ; tarsus 2*25 ; bill from gape 3. 



Distribution. Throughout India, Ceylon, and Burma, extending 

 west to the Persian G-ulf and south-east to the Malay Peninsula. 

 Also found in the Andaman, Nicobar, and Laccadive Islands. 



Habits, Sfc. A common and familiar bird, often found about 

 paddy-fields, ditches, village tanks, and similar places, not easily 

 seen when sitting, and making a startling display of its white 

 wings, body, and tail when it flies up, often close by the intruder, 



