BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 479 



It is clear that Mr. Swinhoe described a bird in breeding 

 plumage, and therefore his yellow bill is not fatal to the 

 identification, as this bird may have the bill blackish brown 

 in the cold season, and yellow in the breeding season. A 

 second bird, belonging, as I apprehend, to this same species, 

 killed at the Andamans in October, has a good deal of the base 

 of the upper mandible and two-thirds of the lower mandible 

 yellow, and the rest of the bill brown, becoming very dark 

 just near the tips. The dimensions of this bird, however, which 

 was a male are somewhat larger : — 



Male.— Bill at front, 3'2 ; wing, 99 ; tarsus, 3*36; mid 

 toe and claw, 2 "48. 



Since this was in type, I find that Blyth made the following 

 remarks on this species, Ibis, 1865, 37 : — 



" It is possible that the true melanopus, Wagler, Ibis, 1829, 

 p. 660, and immaculata, Bonap. Compt. Rend. XL., April 1855, 

 are not identical with Swinhoe's bird, or with the species figured 

 by Gould as immaculata, B. of Austr., VI., pi. 58/' but it 

 seems pretty clear from the dimensions given by him, that 

 Blyth's bird from Mergui and ours are identical. Blyth says : — 



" H. immaculata, Gould, is H. eulophotes, Swinhoe, and 

 IT. melanopus (Wagler) apud nos (Journ. As. Boa, vol. XXII., 

 p. 437.) It occurs in the Southern Tenasserim province of 

 Mergui, being rather smaller than H. garzetta, with much 

 shorter toes, the dorsal train short and straight, or showing but 

 the slightest tendency to recurve, and not passing beyond the 

 tail-tip. Occipital crest consisting of a longitudinal series of 

 numerous lengthened slender plumes, similar to the two or three 

 composing the crest of H. garzetta, but not so long, the longest 

 measuring about 3|-inches. Pendent breast-plumes as in H. 

 garzetta. Beak from forehead, 3 J-inch ; tarsi, 3|-inch; middle 

 toe and claw, 2|-inch ; hind toe and claw, 1-inch ; closed wing, 

 10-inch. The foregoing description is from a Mergui specimen, 

 and Australian examples quite agree. In the 'Ibis'' (1861, 

 p. 245) Captain Irby notices this species in Oude, remarking that 

 ' the breast-plumes in the breeding-plumage are few in number, 

 but thick in texture, and [similar plumes are\ scattered down 

 the neck [nape'], not springing from one place as in Z?. garzetta.'' 

 It is necessary to interpolate the passage as above/' 



A great deal still remains to be done with the Indian "White 

 Herons. In hopes of facilitating their elucidation I subjoin the 

 following : — 



