478 BIRDS OF TENASSEMM. 



927 bis. — Herodias eulophotes, Swinh. (l.) 



Amherst. 



From Amherst we have a single specimen of a small White 

 Heron, which although of the garzetta type cannot be matched 

 by any specimen of garzetta that I possess. 



In the first place it is smaller with a most conspicuously 

 smaller tarsus. It measured as follows : — 



Female. — Bill at front, 2*97, (against 31 in the smallest 

 garzetta and that a young bird); wing, 9*45 (against 9'8 mini- 

 mum for garzetta) ; tarsus, 3*07 (against 3*7 minimum for 

 garzetta • and mid toe with claw, 272 (^against 2'75 minimum 

 for garzetta.) 



The bird appears to be quite adult, and it cannot, I think, 

 possibly be assigned to garzetta. 



It is unfortunately in winter plumage having been shot 

 on the 14th of January, but even then a portion of the 

 lower mandible was yellow, which is never the case with 

 garzetta . 



Blyth records the fact that Captain Berdmore obtained 

 eulophotes at Mergui somewhat further south, and taking this 

 into consideration, and also that the dimensions of ov r bird 

 agpee fairly well with those given by Swinhoe, and lastly 

 that at Tavoy halfway between Amherst and Mergui, we obtain- 

 ed another Chinese species, Ardeola prascinocelis. I have 

 ventured to identify our bird, although in winter plumage, as 

 eulophotes. 



This species was first described as follows by Mr. Swinhoe, 

 Ibis, 1860, p. 64 :— 



" This differs from' H. garzetta strikirgly in having a 

 yellow • bill, full crested occiput, and st jrter legs. It is a 

 rare and solitary species. Length, 27 inches ; wing, 9*25 ; bill 

 from tip to gape, 3"75; tarsus, 3 - 00 ; nafted part of the tibia 

 aboutJ-75 : miudie toe, 2*25 ; its claw, '25 ; legs greenish black ; 

 feeu olive-brown, patched in places with yellow; bill orange 

 yellow, becoming flesh coloured and purplish on the lores and 

 round the eye ; irides pearl white. A number of loose feathers 

 spring from the occiput, forming a full ornamental crest, the 

 highest ones being longest and measuring 4^ inches each, 

 the length diminishing gradually in the lower ones. Long 

 loose feathers also spring from the lower neck, as also from the 

 back, whereas in H. garzetta they become decomposed into 

 hair-like silky webs curling upwards at their ends/' 



