168 Mr. E. Blyth's List of Birds obtained 



177. Ardea garzetta. Common. 



178. A. caboga, v. russata. Common. This species rarely fishes, 

 but feeds principally on grasshoppers, habitually following cattle for 

 those they cause to rise, as long ago noticed by Sonnini. Hence it 

 is styled Ghai-bogla (Cow Heron) by the Bengalees, which Pennant 

 has corrupted into caboga. 



179. A. Javanica. Common. Generally met with singly, in re- 

 tired tanks surrounded by jungle. I have just received a specimen 

 from the Mauritius. 



180. A. nigra, Vieillot. I have reason to believe this beautiful 

 species also occurs here, though I have not yet met with it. 



181. A. Malaccensis. The ordinary Pa (/c?y bi7-d, though the white 

 species are often likewise st}'led so. Remarkable for the diversity 

 of its summer and winter plumage. Extremely common, and very 

 familiar. 



182. Botaurus stellaris. I have obtained one recent specimen. 



183. B. cinnamomeus. Not uncommon. 



184. Ngcticorax Gardeni. Not uncommon. 



185. Ciconia alba. Occasionally met with. 



186. C. leucocephala ; C umbellata, Wagler. Not rare. 



187. Argala migratoria, Hodgson; Ciconia argala, Auct. The 

 gigantic adjutant, or Hurgalah of the natives. This immense spe- 

 cies visits Calcutta in great numbers during the rainy season, and 

 leaves chiefly in November ; a few stragglers only remaining through- 

 out the year. I need hardly remark that it walks tamely about the 

 streets, picking up garbage, surrounded by the kites and crow's, and 

 also dogs, which aU may be seen together about a heap of rubbish, 

 — three or four of these adjutants, with perhaps one or more of the 

 next species to complete the group : or they rest, statue-like, on the 

 house-tops, one often at each corner of a square building, like so 

 many artificial ornaments. Their various attitudes are highly pictu- 

 resque, and it is a truly droll sight to observ^e two of these great 

 gawky birds pulling away at each end of a bit of gut or whatever it 

 may be, witli wings expanded, when perchance another gobbles 

 away the prize on a sudden from them both. They vary considerably 

 in shade of colour, the oldest apparently becoming of a lighter gray. 



188. A. capillata (?) ; Ciconia capillata (?), Tem. ; C. Javanica (?), 

 Horsfield ; C nudifrons, M'Clelland, not of Jerdon ; C. immigratoria, 

 Hodgson ; C. calva, Jerdon. I strongly incUne to the opinion that 

 all these refer to the same species, though the two first (long since 

 identified) are described to have a reddish-brown spot on each feather 

 of the last range of their middle wing-coverts, w^hich I have found 

 no trace of in the two or three Indian specimens (and one from 

 Maulmain) which I have as yet minutely examined*. The absence 

 of this character induced Dr. M'Clelland to describe his Assamese 

 bird as distinct, and this is decidedly identical with the Nipalese, 

 Bengalese, Southern Indian and Tenasserim species. Though scarcely 

 observed by anybody, this species is common in the vicinity of Cal- 



* Possibly the young are so marked, which I must try to ascertain. 



