200 GORSACHIUS.— BUTORIDES. 



Culmen not so long as tarsus. 

 Genus GORSACHIUS. 



Bill short and stout. Large deep groove on upper mandible. Head crested. 

 Short thick neck, densely feathered. Middle toe and claw shorter than the 

 tarsus. Tarsus reticulated in front. 



217. Gorsachius melanolophns. The Malay Bittern. 



$ 17" to 19"; f lb. Legs greenish. Bill 2^", black. Crown and nuchal 

 crest black. Mantle duU chestnut, finely barred black-brown. Bump and upper 

 tail-coverts slate. First three primaries blackish, broadly tipped white; others 

 tipped chestnut. "Wing-lining, axillaries, flanks, and under tail-coverts barred 

 black and white. A rare bird in W. India and Ceylon, but found in Assam, 

 Burma, Pegu, Nicobars, Malay Peninsula, the Philippines, and Borneo. Breeds 

 on Malabar coast. (B. 1569. S.F. ii. 312.) 



Also G. goisachi. 18", Similar to G. melanolqpkus, but head is chestnut. From Japan, 

 wintering in Formosa and the Philippines. 



Also the genus Syrigma. With tarsus plated in front. One species — 8. sibilatrix, 23", 

 ashy grey, confined to S. America. 



Bill with distinct serrations near tip, sometimes only on upper mandible, 

 subterminal notch obsolete. 



Bill longer than mid toe and claw. 



Throat entirely feathered. 



Tarsus reticulated in front with hexagonal scales. 



Genus BUTORIDES. 



Head crested. Plumage dull blue, streaked or spotted. Feathers of back and 



scapulars elongate and lanceolate. Inner toe short, Neck thick and short. 



No separate nuptial plumage. Nearly cosmopolitan. 



218. Eutorides javanica. The Gbeen Heron. 



Koncha-bagia, India; Dosi-honga (Telugu). 



3' 16" to 18". Legs greenish. Bill 3", black and yellow. Forehead, crown, 

 and long occipital crest black. Black line from beneath orbit. Back green. 

 Central line to ashy breast white. Chin and throat white. Abdomen chocolate. 

 India, Ceylon, Burma, and rest of the oriental region, Mascarene Islands. Three 

 to five eggs (1-62 x 1-21), pale sea-green. Includes Sharpe's subspecies — B. 

 spodiogaster, from Andamans and Nicobars. (J. 931. B. 1567.) 



Also B. atricapilla. 16". Similar to S. javamica, but throat streaked light rufous. From 

 tropical Africa and Madagascar. 



B. brevipes. IGJ". Similar to B. atricapilla, but throat is grey. From E. Arabia. 



B. striata. Hi". Similar to B. atricapilla, but throat is streaked dark tawny. From 

 S. America. 



B. robinsoni. Allied to B. striata. From Margarita Island. 



B. amurensis. 16J". Similar to B. javanica. From Amoorland, Japan, China to. 

 Philippines, Java, and Borneo. 



B. stagnatilis. 17", Similar to B. javanica. From N. and E. Australia, New Guinea, 

 Moluccas, and Pacific Isles. 



B. sundevalli. 18". With wing-coverts uniform. From Galapagos. 



