86 HERON. 



that of saffron, with the point of the upper mandible black; nostrils 

 linear, pervious; lore and eyelids yellowish green; irides yellow; 

 the plumage entirely white, except a slight tinge of brown on the 

 outer edge of the greater wing coverts next the body ; the head 

 without any crest, being perfectly smooth ; but on the lower part 

 before are some dependent feathers, composed of bristly webs, remote 

 from each other; the inferior scapulars of the same texture, the 

 superior broad ; and both reach to the root of the tail, which is 

 rounded, and five inches long; the legs, feet, and claws, are black, 

 the middle and outer toes united at the base by a short web ; claws 

 sharp, that of the middle serrated within. 



Inhabits India, and is one of the smaller Herons, included under 

 the name Bok of the Bengalese ; called Putea Bugala, by the 

 Mussulmans; is every where found near water, about Bengal, and 

 multitudes of this kind of bird roost and build in the same tree : it 

 agrees with the Great White Heron, except in size; called at 

 Sumatra Bangou Puti. 



48— PIED-TAIL HERON. 



THIS species, standing erect, is nearly four feet high ; length 

 three feet. Bill orange ; crown black ; plumage in general white ; 

 under the pinions bare, and bright red, as in the Flamingo ; quills 

 twenty-four in number, the tips glossy black ; the eight middle 

 feathers of the tail white, the two outer on each side black ; shape 

 of the tail forked ; legs black, outside of the thighs the same, within 

 white. 



Inhabits Abyssinia. — Mr. Salt* killed one of these in August, 

 on the plain of Sera we. 



* See Voyage to Abyssinia, p. lxiii. note * 



