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850 Birds of Celebes: Ardeidae. 



For a long time ornithologists were uncertain whether there was one or 

 more species of Gorsachius, a matter which Mr. Biittikofer's careful examination 

 (b 5) has gone far to clear up. This ornithologist recognises two species: 

 Gorsachius goisaki of Japan, also occurring in Formosa and the Pelews, the 

 adult having the crown and occiput rusty red and the bill shorter; and Gorsachius 

 melanolophus ranging from India and China to the Philippines, Borneo, Java, the 

 Nicobars and Ceylon, and having a black crest, and a longer, stouter and 

 straighter bill. Both black-crested and red-crested birds have been recorded 

 from Formosa, the Philippines, and apparently Japan, but Mr. Biittikofer re- 

 marks that he would believe rather in the occurrence of the two species in the 

 same places than in the identity of G. goisagi with G. melanolophis. The state- 

 ment of Legge, that G. melanolophus migrates from Malacca to Ceylon and 

 India during the N. E. monsoon (the winter months from October onwards), is 

 not allowed by Biittikofer, who says that it is a winter visitant to the Malay 

 Peninsula and the Sunda Islands, as well as to Ceylon and the Nicobars ; the 

 bii'd is, however, one that is rarely observed in life and is rare in collections, 

 and there seems to be at present no sufficient evidence for drawing conclusions 

 as to its wanderings. On the other hand Mr. Whitehead's discovery of a 

 nest and eggs in Palawan seems to be proof that there are resident birds in 

 the East India Islands. It appears probable, also, that the Archipelago may 

 be visited in winter by others, as Mi-. Biittikofer supposes. 



Care is required in ascertaining the sex of the birds; according to Hume 

 and Oates, the female has the head rufous, or reddish above, and it might, 

 therefore, be mistaken for goisagi. 



The resident race of Talaut seems to be Botaurus kutteri of the Philijjpines 

 including, according to Heine & Reichenow, Palawan, and we should think, 

 most likely, N. Borneo. In describing it Prof. Cabanis says in effect nothing 

 more than that it has a black head, but is smaller in all its dimensions than 

 G. melanolophus. The Talaut birds are longer in the bill and shorter in the 

 wing than those of Java, the under parts are much whiter, the ground-colour 

 in the young Javan bird being cinnamon, inclining to white only about the 

 middle of the feathers, the whole being more copiously streaked, mottled and 

 vermiculated with black; while our rather older Javan example differs more 

 widely in having the fore-neck and breast dark greyish cinnamon-rufous with 

 scanty markings of black. 



GENUS BUTORIDES Blyth. 



This form has much in common with Nycticorax, but is very much smaller 

 (about as large as a Partridge) and the dorsal feathers are lengthened and 

 lanceolate. It differs from the other small Herons of Celebes (Ardetta) by 

 having the tarsus reticulated with large scales, by its shorter and stouter legs 

 and feet, and in the adult by the ornamental dorsal feathers. 



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