ARDEA ATRICOLLIS. 



portion of the tibia, the tarsi, toes, and claws, greenish black. The base of the 

 upper mandible, and the bare space before and behind each eye, gamboge- 

 yellow, the remainder of the mandible liver-brown ; the lower mandible towards 

 the tip reddish-brown, elsewhere light-yellow. Eyes gamboge-yellow. 



Yowig. 



The upper surface of the head and the back, and the sides of the neck, 

 pearl-grey, with more or less of a rusty tint ; the sides of the head pearl- grey, 

 tinted with greyish black ; interscapulars pearl-grey, strongly tinted with 

 clove-brown, and glossed with green. The scapulars and lesser wing coverts 

 rusty pearl-grey ; the primary c^uill feathers coloured as in the adult, only the 

 tint not so vivid ; the outer vanes of all the secondaries edged with pearl-grey ; 

 edges of the shoulder and axilla white ; the outer vanes of the false wing 

 feathers greenish black, the inner ones pearl-grey. Chin, sides of neck 

 anteriorly, and throat rusty-white, the latter marked with a distinct longi- 

 tudinal stripe of light yellowish brown ; lower part of throat and breast 

 pale pearl-grey with a rusty tinge ; belly and vent yellowish white •, outer 

 sides of thighs pearl-grey tinted with yellowish grey. Bill and legs coloured 

 like those of the adult, only the reddish-brown tint is more distinct. 



Form, &c. — Figure rather robust, resembling that of the common heron 

 {Ardea major) ; head bushy and with two or three feathers, each about six 

 inches in length, hanging from the nape. Bill rather short, very strong, 

 and pointed, the lower mandible rather longer than the upper. Wings 

 rounded, and when folded, reach nearly to the tip of the tail, the second 

 quill feather rather the longest, the first, third, and fourth rather shorter 

 and equal, the remainder rather shorter, and not quite so long as the 

 secondaries ; the tertiary quill-feathers about an inch and a half shorter 

 than the primaries. The scapulars nearest to the centre of the back 

 elongated, many of them extending considerably beyond the base of the 

 tail, and are narrow, pointed, and somewhat decomposed. The feathers of 

 the sides of the neck in front of the wings are long, pointed, and pendent 

 in front of the breast. Tail short and nearly equal, or only slightly rounded. 

 Tarsi and toes robust, the former reticulated with large scales, the latter 

 coated with transverse plates ; about an inch and a half of the lower part of 

 tibia bare and covered with small scales. Claws strong, slightly curved, and 

 pointed ; the outer and middle ones connected at the base by a distinct 

 rudimentary web ; the hinder claw the longest, strongest, and most curved. 



