860 Birds of Celebes: Ardeidae. 



"Condor tjoka", Tjamba and Maros Distr., Platen 16. 



For further references cf. Salvador! 4; Gates 14\ Sharpe 37. 



Figures and descriptions. Gray & Hardwicke b IV; Schrenck e 7; Legge g 1; Gates 14; 

 Vorderman b U; W. Blasius 16; Sharpe 37. 



Adult. Above, including wing- and tail-feathers, cinnamon-rufous, slightly ashy on the 

 head, and with a purplish tinge on back; under-parts, especially throat and under 

 wing, much paler; a dark plait-stripe part-way dowTi middle of throat'); lateral 

 pectoral plumes greyer cinnamon with broad blackish centres; "bare skin of face 

 yellow-green; iris gold -yellow; bill above black, below greenish; feet yellow-green" 

 (g, Kema, 24. July, 1893: P. & F. Sarasin). 



Sex. The sexes are similar in coloration. Mr. Gates (14) and Dr. Sharpe (37) ascribe to 

 the adult female a phmiage differing much from that of the male, but we, like 

 Legge (g 1), consider this dress to represent the bird in its second plumage. The 

 following specimen appears to be young in second plumage. 



Second plumage. Above dark brown, darkest and uniform on head, slightly notched with 

 pale buff on back, very deeply edged and notched on wing-coverts and inner- 

 most remiges; remaining remiges and tail dull cinnamon-rufous; under-parts 

 buff, striped with dark brown, except on under tail-coverts (near Manado, Aug.— Sept. 

 92: Nat. Coll. — C 10953). 



Young in first plumage. Above dark brown, the feathers broadly edged with ciimamon- 

 buff, except on forehead and crown; sides of head and ear-coverts bright ciimamon 

 streaked with dark brown; remiges, except the innermost, cinnamon-rufous; under 

 parts buff, streaked with dark brown, clear and whitish on ciissum und under tail- 

 coverts; "iris light yellow; bill above dark brown, below yellomsh; feet Hght green- 

 yellow" (cf, Kalibangkere, S. Celebes, 31. V. 78: Platen — C 5381). 



Measurements (5 adults). Wing 141— 150 mm; tail 40—46; tarsus 44—49; middle toe with 

 claw 57—60; exposed culmen 50—54. 



Eggs. "Eggs in my collection from Assam (19. Aug. 81) and Pegu (1. Sept. 77) are abnost 

 pure white, and measure 32—33 X 26—27 mm" (Nehrkorn MS.). See, also, Hume 

 20, Legge g 1, Kutter 12, Meyer d 2. 



Nest. "Of grass and rushes in a clump of grass in the middle of a field, or in a bush 

 growing by the side of a drain, sometimes a few feet above the ground" (Legge g 1). 



Distribution. Lidia (Jerdon, etc. 4, g 1, 20); Ceylon (Legge, etc. g 1); Nicobars (Hume & 

 Davison .5); Burmah (Gates 14); Tenasserim (Davison 9); China (David 5, Styan 

 23, etc.); Manchuiia and Amurland (fide David & Gustalet 6); Formosa (Swinhoe 

 4); Cochin China (Gates 74); Malacca (Kelham, etc. ii, 13); Singapore (Kelham i7); 

 Sumatra (Raffles b2, Klaesi 18, etc.); Java (Horsfield 4, S. MuUer b 5, 

 Vorderman b 11); Lombok (Everett 55); Borneo (Schwaner 6 5, Grabowsky, 

 etc. 15, 19); Philippine Is. (Ever. 7, 8, Steere, etc. 21, 30, 31, 32, 35); Celebes: — 

 Gorontalo Distr. (v. Rosenberg h 8, b 9, Riedel 16, Meyer in Dresden Mus.), 

 Minahassa (P.& F. Sarasin 33, Nat. Coll.), S. Celebes (Platen 16, P.& F. Sarasin 

 34, Everett 36). 



The Cinnamon Bittern is a somewhat curiously coloured bird; the cinnamon- 

 rufous of its plumage and the soft silky look thereof recalls the Night Herons 

 of the N. cakdonica-gronp, and like them it seems not to be of diurnal habits. 

 Abbe David terms it nocturnal, and Legge remarks that in India it is said to 



') Not always present. 



