136 ARDETNJE. CICONIA. 



and back tinged with cream-colour, the rest of the plu 

 white; bill pale yellow ; feet dusky anteriorly, yellowish he- 

 hind. Young \\ithout elongated feathers, pure white 

 cept the head, which is tinged with yellow; bill pale yellow, 

 feet duskv-mveu. 



Male, -<),..,!)-, 2 ,',,:;], 2^ ft. 



According to Wagler, this species occurs in (Greece, Spain, 

 and Italy ; in Persia, Kgypt, Nubia, Cyprus, and Srm 

 bin; is not nnfrequent in southern Africa, common in .Java, 

 and, as it, would appear, in New Holland. The only speci- 

 men obtained in Britain is a female, shot near K ingsbridge, 

 in the end of October !<)().">, and presented to Montagu, who 

 described it, but mistook it for Ardoa luquinoctialis of Lin- 

 llUMis. The error was detected after it had, along with his 

 collection, been transferred to the Hritish Museum. 



Aidea russaia, NVagler, Syst. Av. Ardoa russata, Temm. 

 Man. d'Ornith. iv. 377. Erodius rus>atus, JIuil-backod 

 Mi^ret, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, i\. 



GENUS CXVII. CICONIA. STORK. 



The Storks resemble the Herons, but dillerironi them in 

 being of ll more robust form, with the bill larger, the. toes 

 shorter, tin 1 claws convex and obtuse, and that of the middle 

 too without scrratnre. The body large and compressed; the 

 nock long and rather thick ; the head ovate and moderately 

 compressed. Hill much longer than the head, straight, stout, 

 conical, moderately compressed, tapering to a point ; upper 

 mandible with tho dorsal lino straight, very slightly decli 

 nate at tbe end, tbe sides sloping and a little convex, the 

 ridge obtuse, no nasal sinus or groove, tho edges sharp and 

 direct, the tip acute ; lower mandible with the angle very 

 long and narrow, the dorsal line ascending and very slightly 

 convex, the sides inclined outwards and somewhat convex, 

 the edges sharp, the tip acute: gape line straight, coin 

 mencing under the eyes. Nostrils oblong, perforated as it 

 were in the bill near tho ridge. Eyes small, surrounded by 

 a bare space. Aperture of ear roundish, rather large. Legs 

 very long, rather slender; tibia, bare tor about half its 

 length, reticulated ; tarsus long, compressed, reticulated all 

 round ; hind toe short, and slightly elevated ; anterior toes 

 of moderate 4 length, webbed at the base, seutellatc. but at 



