1852.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 435 



the same may be remarked of the Burmese Tsain or Java Banteng (Bos 

 sondaicus) among mammalia. But the three most interesting acquisitions 

 are the new Pernis, the Podica personata, of which the British Museum 

 specimen from Malacca described by Mr. Gray has, we believe, remained 

 unique up to the present time, and the small Australian white Egret, which 

 however we suspect to be identical with the Malayan Ardea melanopus, 

 Wagler, v. A. nigripes, Temminck.* The PERNIS may be described 

 as follows : 



* Other species of Australian Herons figured as new by Mr. Gould appear to be 

 perfectly identical with those of India, and which are more or less diffused over 

 the greater part of the ' Old World' or major continent and its dependencies. 

 Thus, his Ardea rectirostris is A. sumatrana, Raffles, v. fusca, nobis, which 

 extends its range to Arakan and the valley of the Brahmaputra : but his A. leu- 

 coph^ea is not (as he avers) the common Indian Heron, which is true A. cinerea, 

 h. (v. A. bruh of Jacquemont's Atlas?), identical with European : and Chinese 

 examples ; and the Egret group, which seems still to be in a considerable state of 

 confusion, we will here make some attempt to elucidate. The Asiatic species are as 

 follow. A. With pure white plumage at all ages. 



1. H. alba : Ardea alba, L. ; A. egretta, Tem. ; A. modesta, Gray; A. flavi- 

 rostris et A. melanorhynchos , Wagler ; A. torra, Buchanan Hamilton and 

 Franklin ; H. syrmatophorus, Gould. Hab. S. E. Europe, Asia and its islands, 

 Africa, and Australia ; very common in India. This is by far the largest species, 

 measuring generally about 3 ft. to tail-tip, by 4-£ ft. in. alar expanse ; closed wing 

 14 in. beak to frontal plums A\ in. ; tarse 6| in. ; middle toe and claw 4| in. 

 The bill is black in the breeding season, and becomes so before the dorsal train is 

 put forth ; and the train is retained for some time after the beak has changed back 

 to yellow ; so that both black-billed and yellow-billed examples are seen with and 

 without the train. The latter is straight to the extremity, and in fine specimens 

 passes 4 or 5 in. beyond the tail-tip. No crest nor supplementary neck-plumes 

 pendent over the breast. Bare portion of tibia either wholly or commonly in 

 great part pale or albescent, suffused with purplish red ; and sometimes the tarse 

 and toes are also partially of this hue, the rest b&fng black. In the height of the 

 breeding season the loral and other naked skin at base of bill is of a beautiful pea- 

 green approaching to verditer ; at other times bright wax-yellow. Irides pale yellow. 

 Remark. Temminck and others describe a small pendent occipital crest to this, 

 species, which we have never seen, though many dozens of fresh specimens in the 

 finest nuptial plumage have passed under examination. Temminck further asserts 

 that Japanese examples are similar but rather smaller ; but he does not shew that he 

 has remarked this in a sufficient number of instances. The American H. galatea, 

 (Molina, Ardea leuce, Tem. ;) differs in having shorter legs and toes, which are 

 wholly black ; and from the published figures it would seem that the train is 



