196 MALAYAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



minutes, I stepped out from my hiding-place and, as they rose, 

 brought down a couple. The birds were so confused at my sud- 

 denly and so unexpectedly appearing almost in their midst, that 

 they flapped about in all directions, not knowing which way to 

 go, and gave me easy shots. One, struck by a single pellet, 

 which grazed the top of its head, seemed to be completely dazed, 

 and, though in other respects untouched, made no attempt to fly 

 away nor even to walk, but stood bolt upright, quite motionless, 

 and stared vacantly at me in a most idiotic manner : I suppose it 

 was suffering from concussion of the brain. 



"Both of the birds I shot were in pure white plumage, except 

 a slight tinge of buff on the head ; the beak was orange, at front 

 2J inches ; orbital skin greenish yellow ; irides yellow ; legs black 

 tinged with green ; soles green ; tarsus 3 T 5 ¥ inches. Their stomachs 

 contained large spiders, several grasshoppers, dragon-flies, and small 

 insects." 



" Kuala Kangsa, Perak, 8th April, 1877. To-day I shot in the 

 country round Saiyong, and on the large jheel saw several Herons 

 (Ardea sumatrana); a few Teal, and literally hundreds of Cattle- 

 Egrets ; the last are becoming of a ruddy brown colour on the 

 head, neck and breast, a sure sign of the approach of the breeding- 

 season." 



BUTOBLDES JAVANICUS (Horsf.). 



Common. I got several in Perak. For many weeks one resorted 

 daily to the river-bank just below our camp at Kuala Kangsa, 

 and I often watched it fishing ; at length, doubtless thinking it- 

 self in a dangerous neighbourhood, it took itsef off to other 

 grounds. 



I also found this species plentiful among the islands of the 

 Singapore archipelago. In my notes, in a description of a trip to 

 Pulau Mongsa, is the following : — 



" 23rd September, 1880 1 found Pulau Mongsa to be 



about half a mile long by less than a hundred yards wide, thickly 

 wooded, but fringed with a broad coral reef, at low tide of con- 

 siderable width. Near its shores were long rows of fishing- 

 stakes projecting some feet out of the water, on which sat hun- 

 dreds of small green Herons CSuiorides iavanicus). On our 



