HERODIONES. 235 



Ibis, 1884, p. 35), where those obtained by the Siebold Expedition 

 (recorded erroneously under the name of Ardea scapularis) were 

 doubtless also procured (Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica; 

 Aves, p. 116). 



The Australian Mangrove-Heron was originally described from 

 North Australia, under the name of Ardetta stagnatilis (Gould, Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. 1847, p. 231); it was afterwards redescribed from the east 

 coast of Australia, under the name of Ardetta macrorhyncha (Gould, 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1848, p. 39) . It is probable that the Ardea patru- 

 elis, described in the same year from Tahiti (Peale, Zool. U. S. Expl. 

 Exp. p. 316), must be referred to this race; and there can be no 

 doubt that the names Ardea [Butorides) virescens var. amurensis 

 (Schrenck, Reis. Forsch. Amur-Lande, i. p. 441) and Butorides 

 schrenckii (Bogdanow, Consp. Av. Imp. Ross. i. p. 115) do belong 

 to it. This race breeds in the valley of the Amoor and probably in 

 Japan, and winters in Formosa and South China. It is said also to 

 breed in Australia. It may be known as Nycticorax javanicus stag- 

 natilis. It cannot be regarded as more than subspecifically distinct 

 from the typical Nycticorax javanicus, as it only differs from it in size 

 (wing 8'3 to 7" 5 inches). Indian examples are smaller (wing 7"3 to 

 6'5 inches) . The typical form ranges from India and Ceylon, across 

 the Burma Peninsula to the Malay Archipelago and South China. 

 Probably both forms occur and completely intergrade in the tropics. 



211. NYCTICORAX PRASINOSCELES. 

 (CHINESE SQUACCO HERON.) 



Ardeola prasinosceles, Swinhoe, Ibis, 1860, p. 64- 



The Squacco Herons form a group of half a dozen small species, 

 in which the wing from carpal joint only measures from 8 to 9 inches. 

 The Chinese Squacco Heron is white, with the head, nape, and sides 

 of the neck chestnut, and with the disintegrated feathers of the back 

 and breast greenish black in the adult. In immature birds the 

 chestnut is replaced by brown streaked with bufE, the breast is white 

 streaked with brown, the back and the tertials are brown, the wing- 

 coverts are pale brown, and the scapulars are obscurely streaked 

 with buff. 



