196 MESOPHOYX.— HERODIAS. 



210. Ardea goliath. The Giant Heron. 

 Darya anjan, Bengal. ^ 



($ 56" to 60". Legs black. Bill 9J", dusky, tip green. Crown and crest 

 cinnamon. Stands nearly four feet. Upper plumage grey. Below chestnut- 

 brown. — Young have dense crest. Africa. Two were shot in Ceylon — one in 

 1878 and another in 1879 — and a third was seen in 1880. (J. 921. B. 1558.) 



Also A. purpurea. 30" to 34". Crown and crest black. Fore part of throat and neck 

 streaked with black. The Purple Heron of Europe, Africa, and S.W. Asia. 



A. wurdemanni. 50". Head white, forehead streaked blackish. From Florida. 



A. wardi. 48" to 54"- Occiput and sides of crown black. Forehead and mid-crown white. 

 From Florida. 



A. occidentalis. 58"- General colour pure white. From S. Florida. 



A. humbloti. 37". Crown black. From Madagascar. 



A. melanocephala. 30" to 36" Crown black. From Africa and S. Europe. 



A. cocai. 35" to 40". Crown and crest black. From S. America. 



A. herodias. 40". Crown white. From N.C. and S. America, West Indies, and Galapagos 

 Islands. (B.M. Cat., xxvi. 72-84.) 



Genus MESOPHOYX. 



Head crested. No ornamental nape-plumes. Foreneck plumes disintegrated. 

 Immense dorsal train. Plumage white. 



211. Mesophoyx intermedia. The Smaller "White Heron or Egret. 

 Patokha ba.g\a, India ; Puru-wallai-koku, Ceylon. 



cJ 27" to 28". Legs black. Bill 2f " to 3" ; yellow in winter, black in 

 summer. — In summer: Head crested, but no drooping plumes. Pectoral plume 

 of long decomposed feathers. Dorsal train extending about 7" beyond tail. In 

 winter: Pure white and without dorsal train. India, Ceylon, N. Burma, 

 Andamans, Malay Peninsula and Islands to Java and the Philippines, China, 

 and Japan. Four eggs (1-9 x 144), bluish green. Included by Jerdon and 

 Blanford under Herodias, but here separated, as the edges of the mandibles are 

 serrated. (J. 926. B. 1560.) 



Also M. brachyrhyncha. 25". Similar to M. intermedia, but bill and legs are yellow. From 

 S. and N.E. Africa. 



M. plumifera. 25". Similar to M. brachyrhyncha, but with distinct loral black patches. 

 From Australia, New Guinea, and Moluccas. 



Edge of mandibles not serrated, but loith distinct subterminal notch in 

 upper mandible. Plumage white or black. 



Bill not longer than mid toe and claw. 



Genus HERODIAS. 

 ipadi6s=ak Crane. 



No crest or breast-plumes. Well-developed dorsal train. Plumage white. 



212. Herodias alba. The Great White Heron or Egret. 



Bara-bagia, /rw^ia; Pedda-tella-konga (Telugu) ; \/e\\a.-koku, Ceylon. 



(J 36". Legs black. Bill 3f" to 5^", yellow in winter, black in summer. — 

 In summer : No crest, no pectoral plumes. Dorsal train extends about 5" beyond 

 tail. Orbital skin pea-green. S. Europe to C. Asia, Africa, India, Ceylon, Burma. 

 Four eggs (2-11 x 1-55), bluish green. (J. 925. B. 1559.) 



