134 ARDEIN^E. ERODIUS. 



Viet. Alb. Egr. Alb. 



Length, . . 44* 40 37 40 



Extent of wings, . 66 ... 55 



Bill along the ridge, . 4 T 9 ^ 4 7| 4^ 



Gape-line, . . 6 T ^ ... 5 T 5 2 



Height of bill, . . i| 9 U 



Wing from flexure, . 18 16 16J 



Tail, ... 7 6| 6J 



Bare part of tibia, . 5* 3 T \ 3 



Tarsus, . . 7A 6Vfc <> T V 6 



Third toe, . 4 3 3} 4 j 



Its claw, . . T \ ft T& 



It will be seen how greatly our new species exceeds the 

 others in the bare space on the tibia, in the tarsus, and in 

 the middle toe. All the individuals described were adult, 

 with the dorsal plumes in the same state. 



It is clear that Erodius Victoria? exceeds E. albus in size, 

 as much as the latter exceeds the American Egret. Its bill, 

 however, is more slender than that of either, and its tarsi and 

 toes much longer, while the bare part of the tibia greatly 

 exceeds that of the rest. I have examined the digestive or- 

 gans of E. Victoria? and E. Egretta, but not of E. albus. Of 

 the first, the oesophagus was 28 inches long, 2J inches wide 

 at the proventriculus ; stomach 2 inches in diameter, with a 

 pyloric lobe 10 twelfths in breadth; intestine 9 feet 1 inch, 

 from 3 to 2 twelfths wide. 



Not finding this bird anywhere described or figured, al- 

 though it may have been confounded with E. albus, and al- 

 though it may possibly be the Egretta nigrirostris of Mr 

 Grey and the Prince of Canino, whose names, however, can- 

 not be admitted unless they have minutely described or fi- 

 gured the species to which they have given it, I propose 

 naming it after our most gracious Queen, it being, in my esti- 

 mation, as worthy as a bird can be of such an honour. The 

 specimen examined, beautifully prepared by Mr Carfrae, is 

 now, I understand, in the possession of the Earl of Haddington. 



224. ERODIUS ALBUS. EUROPEAN WHITE EGRET. 



Length nearly three feet and a half; occipital feathers very 

 slightly elongated ; dorsal plumes with the shaft stiifish, 

 straight, and extending a little beyond the tail ; plumage 



