862 



Birds of Celebes: Ardeidae. 



B. Ceylon 1880, 1159 (Ceylon); W. Blasius c3 {Q Celebes); David & Oustalet, 

 Ois. Chine 1877, 446; Sharpe el, etc. 



Adult. Head, sides of face, ear-coverts, hind neck and upper parts blackish slaty; 

 a narrow white metacarpal edge; under surface greyer slaty; sides of neck buff; 

 fore neck varied with a broad plait of black, slaty, chestnut, buff, and white; 

 elongated jugular plumes slaty grey broadly edged with white (ad., Limbotto, 

 Jan. 1876: v. Musschenbroek — C 5269). 



An adult from Talaut has only a slight shade of blue on the back, the under 

 surface paler and browner, and the fore-neck less richly varied, there being no pure 

 chestnut on the feathers (C 13017). 



Female. The female has been described from other quarters — Ceylon, Moluccas and Papu- 

 asia, and Australia — as having the upper surface brown, but Prof. W. Blasius 

 describes the female from Celebes as having the head above black with a bluish hue, 

 and the back blackish in many places. Probably the old female may come to 

 resemble the male in time, but the dark colom* of Prof. Blasius' specimens and the 

 blue-black tint of what seems to be the adult male are most likely peculiarities of a 

 geographical character, perhaps confined to Celebes. 



Immature. Differs from the adult in having the fore-neck mostly chestnut, varied with white 

 and a Httle slaty, the jugvdar plumes slaty, broadly edged with dull chestnut; back 

 and wing-coverts brown (more slaty on latter) with terminal edges of cinnamon; under 

 parts slaty brown, strongly varied with cinnamon on the abdomen and thighs. This 

 specimen is in process of acquiring a brownish black back (Manado, March, 1871: 

 Meyer — C 2005). 



Young. Like the immature bu-d, but the feathers of the upper parts more broadly tipped 

 with cinnamon, the fore-neck and under parts varied with cinnamon, slaty brown, and 

 white (Talaut — C 13016). 



Measurements. 



Exposed 

 ciilraen 



« 



a. (C 5269) ad., Limbotto, Jan. 76 (v.Musschenbr.) 211 75 68 76 80 



b. (C 2005) imm., Manado, Mcb. 71 (Meyer) . . 205 70 70 78 84 



c. (C 883) ad., Siao (Meyer) 218 80 60 65 79 



d. (C 13017) ad., Kabruang, Nov. 93 (Nat. Coll.) 205 77 65 67 76 



e. (C 13015) imm., Salibabu, Oct. 93 (Nat. Coll.) 213 — 63 66 77 

 /: (C 13016) juv., Sahbabu, Oct. 93 (Nat. Coll.) 215 70 63 66 76 

 (/. (C 12416) imm., Java (v. Schierbrand). . . 216 70 68 72 76 

 If. (C 12417) imm., Java (v. Schierbr.) .... 185 60 62 68 76 

 /. (Nr. 11250) ad., Java (v. Schierbr.) .... 201 70 64 77 80 

 ./. (Nr. 11525) juv., Java (v. Schierbr.) .... 215 78 64 65 78 



Variation. This bu-d displays gi'eat individual variation in the length of its members, 

 especially of the toes. 



Eggs. Described by Hume in India as "broad ovals of the usual Heron-type. The ground- 

 colour is white, with a very faint green tinge". Size 42 X 32 mm (Doig in Nests 

 & Eggs Ind. B. Oates ed. 1890, ni, 251. Compare also: North, Nests & Eggs 

 B. Austr. 1889, 321, pi. XVIH, f. 4). 



Nest. "Of tamarisk twgs, with sometimes a few aquatic weeds on which the eggs are laid; 

 they are generally placed about 5 feet over the water, either in a dense tamarisk 

 bush or thick clump of weeds, and are about 9 inches in diameter, 3 inches thick, 

 and have a very slight depression in which the eggs, always four in number, are 

 laid" (Doig 1. c). 



