132 ARDEIN^E. ERODIUS. 



duff Carfrae to be prepared, was minutely examined by me. 

 A very full description does not accord with the plan of this 

 work, and will be given elsewhere ; but enough may be stated 

 here to shew the difference between Erodius Victoria?, E. 

 albus, and E. Egretta, which are very intimately allied. 



Erodius Yictorioe is much larger in all its dimensions than 

 E. albus, which exceeds E. Egretta. The bill is long, stout, 

 compressed, tapering ; the upper mandible with the dorsal 

 line straight for two-thirds, then slightly declinato-convex, 

 the ridge broad at the base, narrow but convex in the rest of 

 its extent, the nasal depression narrow, elongated, with a 

 groove from its fore part extending nearly to a third from the 

 tip, the sides convex, the edges direct and sharp ; lower man- 

 dible with the an<>le long and extremely narrow, the dorsal 

 line slightly ascending, the sides sloping outwards and con- 

 cave, the edges sharp, the tip acute ; the gape-line straight, 

 commencing under the centre of the eye, at first somewhat 

 sinuate, and toward the end slightly deflected. A large bare 

 space on each side of the head, extending from the base of 

 the bill to a little behind the eye and angle of the mouth. 

 This bare space is bright verdigris green ; the base of the bill 

 also on each side is green of a lighter tint, as far as the nos- 

 trils ; but all the rest is deep black, excepting the two tips, 

 which are greenish-grey or horn-colour, to the extent of an 

 inch. These particulars are taken from the newly-killed 

 bird. The occipital feathers are very slightly elongated, 

 being an inch and a half in length. The dorsal plumes have 

 rather firm, though slender, straightish shafts, the longest 

 extending two inches and a half beyond the tail, and sixteen 

 inches in length. The bare part of the tibia and the upper 

 part of the tarsus are flesh-coloured; the scutella of the tarsi 

 and toes dusky-brown ; the hind part of the tarsus and the 

 soles dusky flesh-coloured ; the claws brownish-black. The 

 plumage white with a faint tint of yellowish. 



Erodius albus, which is considerably smaller, has the bill 

 long, stout, compressed, tapering ; the upper mandible with 

 the dorsal line straight for two-thirds from the base, then 

 slightly declinato- convex, the ridge broad at the base, narrow 

 but convex in the rest of its extent, the nasal depression 

 narrow, elongated, with a groove from its fore part extending 

 nearly to a third from the tip, the sides convex, the edges 

 direct and sharp ; lower mandible with the angle long and 

 extremely narrow, the dorsal line slightly ascending; the 

 sides sloping outwards and concave, the edges sharp, the tip 



