240 VISCOUNT WAIiDEN ON THE BIEDS 



wears the full chestnut plumage and the long black crest in winter ; for I possess speci- 

 mens, obtained by the late Mr. Maingay at Malacca in December, in that dress. 

 Again, the Japanese, although said not to possess a black crest, does wear a long purple- 

 chestnut crest ; for so it is described by Temminck (I. c.) ; and a Nagasaki example 

 (7nus. nostr.) has a full chestnut-coloured crest. The only Japanese example in the 

 British Museum wears the same plumage. 



The bill in all the Malaccan examples I have examined is longer and straighter than 

 in that of the Nagasaki individual above referred to. 



The British Museum contains a Philippine example in chestnut plumage, with a 

 black crown and flowing black crest. It is not enumerated in the Hand-list. In the 

 same work, on the other hand, N. limnophilax, Temm., is entered as a separate species 

 (No. 10164), from the Philippines, but not as being represented in the Museum. 



Dr. V. Martens {I. c.) described a species of Botaurus which he had observed in the 

 Military Library at Mandla, and identified it with Ardea phiUjjpensis, Gm. His short 

 account agrees best with G. goisagi ; for he says nothing about a black crest ; and this 

 negative evidence favours the hypothesis that G. melanolophus = G. goisagi. 



Ardea philippensis, Gm., is generally considered to be the same as A. undulata, 

 Gm. S. N. i. p. 637, no. 54. Brisson first described the individual (Orn. v. p. 474, 

 no. 38) on which Gmelin bestowed the title of A. philijrpensis. The type, according to 

 Brisson, was sent from the Philippines to M. Aubrey. The description of the plumage, 

 given in great detail, does not tally as well with G. melanolophus, or G. goisagi, as with 

 the American species, while the dimensions are much too small. Buff'on, also, who 

 (Hist. Nat. Ois. vii. p. 395) entitled it " le petit Crabier," mentions that it is even 

 smaller than " le Blongios " (Ardetta ininuta). Prince Bonaparte's identification of A. 

 philippensis, Gm., with A. undulata, Gm. (Consp. ii. p. 138), in which he is con- 

 firmed by Professor Schlegel (Mus. Pays-Bas, Ardece, p. 56), appears therefore, on the 

 whole, to be well founded. In Mr. Gray's Hand-list, no. 10154, it is treated as a 

 distinct Phihppine species, under the title oi Zehrilus pumilus (Bodd.). 



Two species of Spoonbills were described by Sonnerat as inhabiting the island of 

 Luzon, namely : — 



La Spatule hlanche de Tisle de Lugon, Sonn. Voy. Nouv. Guin. p. 89, pi. 51. 

 Platalea alba. Scop. Del. Fl. Faun. Insubr. ii. p. 92, no. 75 (1786), ex Sonn. 

 Platalea leucorodia, var. j3, Gm. S. N. i, p. 614, ex Sonn., 

 and 



La Spatule huppee de lisle de Lugon, Sonn. torn. cit. p. 90, pi. 52. 

 Platalea cristata, Scop. torn. cit. p. 92, no. 76, ex Sonn. 

 Platalea leucorodia, var. -y, Gm. I. c, ex Sonn. 



