566 ARDEA 



790. BLACK-NECKED HERON. 

 ARDEA MELANOCEPHALA. 



Ardea melanocephala, Vig. and Childr. in Denh. and Clapp. Voy. ii. App. 

 p. 201 (1826) ; Dresser, vi. p. 225, pi. 397 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. 

 Mus. xxvi. p. 70 ; A. atricollis, Wagl. Syst. Av. Ardea, sp. 4 

 (1827). 



Al)u el Anga, Arabic. 



$ ad. (Africa). Differs from A. cinerea in having the head, pendant 

 nuchal plumes and back of neck greyish black, the upper parts blackish 

 plumbeous with a faint greenish lustre, the lower back, rump, and upper 

 tail- co verts slaty blue, the elongated scapular plumes hoary towards the 

 tips ; quills and tail blackish lead grey ; chin and throat white, neck 

 blackish grey slightly marked with white ; under parts clear grey ; upper 

 mandible black, the under mandible and bare skin round the eye greenish 

 yellow ; legs and feet black ; iris light yellow. Culmen 3'0, wing 15*8, 

 tail 6 '2, tarsus 4*4 inch. Female smaller with the elongated plumes shorter. 

 The young bird is duller and brownish grey ; head black ; hind-neck slaty 

 grey ; under parts yellowish white, the lower neck and breast greyish 

 washed with fawn ; throat striped with yellowish. 



Hob. Africa south to the Cape 'Colony ; Madagascar ; a rare 

 visitant to Algeria, Spain, and the south of France. 



In habits it is said to resemble A. cinerea, and like that 

 species it feeds on fish, but also on frogs, lizards, and locusts. 

 It nests both on trees and on reed-beds in company with other 

 Herons and those of the same species, and in June or July 

 deposits 3 to 4 eggs, which resemble those of A. cinerea in 

 colour, and measure about 2'32 by 1*72. 



791. GREAT WHITE EGRET. 

 ARDEA ALBA. 



Ardea alba, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 239 (1766) ; Gould, B. of E. iv. 

 pi. 276 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. iv. pi. xxii. ; Dresser, vi. p. 231, 

 pi. 398 ; (Sharpe), Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxvi. p. 90 ; (Blanf.), F. Brit. Ind. 

 Birds, iv. p. 385 ; Saunders, p. 371 ; Lilford, vii. p. 15, pi. 6 ; 

 A. egretta, Bechst. Gemeiim. Naturg. Deutschl. iii. p. 41 (1793 nee. 

 Gmel.) ; Naum. ix. p. 85, Taf. 222. 



ffe'ron aigrette, French ; Airone bianco maggiore. Ital. ; Silber- 

 Eeiher, German ; G-roote Ziherreiger, Dutch ; Hvit-Hager, Swed. ; 



