HERON. 4.3 



with a white down ; on the nape is a crest of loose, blackish feathers, 

 which diverge in all directions; the skin on the under part of the 

 neck is loose, but has no fleshy bag, or appendix ; the feathers on 

 the back and rump black, with a gloss of green, and have obscure j 

 palish, transverse bars; those on the under parts and sides are white, 

 with some black feathers round the base of the neck ; lesser wing 

 coverts like those of the back, the greater with a tinge of brown ; 

 under coverts dirty black; quills black, with a green gloss; the tail 

 rounded, colour as the quills; under coverts with beautiful, strong, 

 white down, almost as long as the tail feathers ; legs and feet obscure 

 bluish black, the middle claw not serrated. 



This is the JVIodun Tiky of the Bengalese, and is frequently 

 confounded with the Argala, to which it has, in many points, a 

 strong resemblance, but it is abundantly distinct, and never frequents 

 villages near towns, but lives in the marshes and lakes, where it 

 catches fish and crabs. Modun Tiky implies, that the hair of the 

 head is beautiful as Cama, the son of Chrisna : Cama is supposed to 

 be a Deity of exceeding beauty, and hence every thing of that nature 

 is called Modun, which is one of his names. It is, however, from 

 irony, that the natives apply the name to this bird, as in fact every 

 part of it, especially the head, is remarkably ugly.* 



I see this Species clearly distinguished from the Argala in the 

 drawings of Sir John Anstruther, where it is observed, that it is the 

 bird from which theCommercolly feathers are got; no doubt meaning 

 the under tail coverts, as before mentioned, as both the last birds 

 furnish them equally. 



Sir T. Stamford Raffles mentions a small Variety of the Argala, 

 with nearly black back and wings, which no doubt is this bird.f 



* Dr. Buchanan. f Lin. Trans, xiii. 325. 



G 2 



