ERODY. 139 



mandibles recede from each other, to near the point, where they 

 again unite; space between the eyes and round the latter quite 

 covered with feathers ; general colour of the plumage cinereous grey, 

 or bluish white; but the quills are black,* and much exceed the tail 

 in length ; legs yellow and tessellated the whole of their length ; 

 the same also in respect to the bare part above the joint ; claws 

 small, black, and the edge of the middle one sharp, but not 

 serrated. 



Inhabits India. Found at Pondicherry, and other parts. We 

 have been at a loss concerning this bird ; at first sight supposing it 

 to be one and the same with the Abyssinian Species, being as to size 

 and distribution of colours greatly similar, but the bill has a much 

 greater degree of opening between the two mandibles; and in respect 

 to the toes, they are represented in the PI. enlum. as divided to the 

 bottom ; the colour, too, of the bill and legs is yellow, and not lead- 

 colour as in the Pondicherry Erody. 



M. Temminck considers the Coromandel Heron and the present 

 Erody as one species, differing only in sex ; forming of them his 

 Genus of Anastomus, or Bec-ouvert. We beg here to observe, 

 that all of our Erody Genus have the faces entirely covered with 

 feathers; whereas in the Coromandel Heron, that part, as well as the 

 chin, is bare. Some doubts have, therefore, arisen with us, as to 

 place it should hold in the present work. It may also be noticed, 

 that by the scale in the PI. enlum. the Pondicherry Erody is only 

 fourteen inches and a half in length, and the Coromandel Heron 

 thirty-two inches ; too great a difference to admit of uniting them 

 as one, and brings the former nearer to the size of the Erody, and 

 which, according to the sentiments of Mr. Salt, we have formed into 

 a Genus. 



* The lower part of the back appears black in the PI. enlum. but this is not mentioned 

 in Buffon's Text. 



T 2 



