840 



Birds of Celebes: Ardeidae. 



The examples from Java and Sumba (with one exception, f) have the tips of 

 the outer one or two primaries clouded with a variable amount of drab; this is seen 

 in two of the Celebesian examples (b, d), in the two others not so. 



Eggs. "Borneo eggs in my collection are bluish and measure 36x30.5 mm" (Nehrkorn MS.). 

 Grabowsky found 4 eggs to the sitting on 25''' April, 1882 (13). 



Nest. Of grass, carelessly built and flat, lying on the marsh-grass clumps standing above 

 the surface of the water (Banks of the swamp of Danau Bangkau, S. E. Borneo: 

 Grabowsky in Kutter 13). 



Distribution. Java (Horsfield a J, all, Eeinwardt e i, etc.); Noordwachter Id. (Vorderm. 

 24); Karimon-Java Islands (Burck 17)\ Lombok (Vorderman 24, Everett 26]\ 

 Sumbawa (Forsten el, Guillemard f 1); Sumba (Eiedel 10); Borneo (Schwaner, 

 etc. el, 7, 12, 18, 1.9); Celebes:— iWall.), Minahassa (Faber), Gorontalo (Eosenb. 

 a 7, a 8, a 5, Eiedel 14, Guillem. fl), Southern Peninsula — Tjamba Distr. 

 (Platen 14), Maros Waterfall (Platen 14), Macassar (Weber 23, P. & F. Sarasin 

 25, Everett 26), Tello, Maros and Tempe (Weber 23), Buton Id. (S. Miiller a 4). 



This Egret is a common species in South Celebes, where Dr. Platen (14) 

 says "dozens of Herons of about six species, A. speciosa, Ardea purpurea, Herodias 

 (/arzetta, Buhulcus coromandus, Ardetta cinnamomea and Ardeiralla flavicollis, splendid 

 contrasts in colour and size, follow the plough as it turns ujs the bottomless 

 mud of the rice fields". Ardeola speciosa may be easily recognised among all 

 its fellow Herons in Celebes, when in breeding plumage, by the decomposed 

 slaty plumes of its back and by its white body and wings; the white wings and 

 body equally serve to distinguish it when young, or in non-breeding dress. 

 "Often enough", says Mr. Whitehead (19), "when passing a field, you do not 

 observe this little Heron until suddenly dozens of snow-white wings (the small 

 and dull-coloured body being difficult to see) open and slowly flap away". 



The nearest affinities of this species are with the Chinese Squacco Heron, 

 A. prasinosceles Swinh. (= bacchus Bp.) of S. China, and the Siamese and Malay 

 Peninsulas; the latter, according to Hume, is a larger bird with the crest rich 

 vinous chestnut, and some other differences. A. grayi of the Indian countries 

 has the long feathers of the back deep maroon-purple, a greyer hue on the 

 head and neck, etc. 



The Squacco Heron, A.ralloides (Scop.), of Europe and Africa is the type 

 of the genus Ardeola Boie, which its author just saves from the condition of a 

 nomen nudum by giving as its distinguishing mark: its short "toes" (it should 

 have been "tarsus"). 



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