gRKK 's'TiTE MUS-UM, 
34 
AVES. 
without hesitation, scratching and turning up the sand Jike an 
old bird. Two more afterwards emerged in the same state- 
Their eggs are held in such' high estimation as food both by 
natives and Europeans, that one cannot but fear that these 
interesting birds, though now so abundant, will ere long be- 
come scarce.* 
Order Grallne. 
Fara. Ardeidje. 
Sub"fam. Ardeinaj. 
Genus Ardea, 
Ardeapurparca. 
„ cas})ica (Latliam). 
Crown of the head biack with a pendant crest of the same coloiir ; 
chin white, sides of the head reddish fawn colour j beak, brownish 
yellow ; skin round the eyes bare ; a black patch springs from the 
gape on either side, and divides itself in two, one part passing over 
the ears to the nape, and the other extending in a line down each 
side of the neck to the lengthened feathers at its base ; a third 
black line runs down the back of the neck for about two-thirds of 
its length j above the sidal black stripes, the general colour of the 
neck is reddish fawn, and below them dark cbesnut ; back, light 
slaty gray, with' olivaceous , reflections ; the colour of the back 
reaches up the upper side of the neck about a third part of its 
length \ the elongated scapulary feathers are chesnut at the ends j 
the elongated feathers at the base of the neck below, are varied with 
white, black, fawn colour and gray, breast and belly deep rich 
maroon, and purplish black in the centre ; the vent and tail-covers 
are also black, the feathers of the latter part being more or less 
white at tlie base ; flanks gray, lower wing-covers and shoulders 
cbesnut ; thighs chcsnut j wings and tail the same general colour 
as the back, the quills, however, being somewhat darker. 
Length, from the crown of the head to the tip of the tail, 2 feet 
11 inches. 
„ of bill from gape, 6 inches 9 lines. 
„ of bill from front, 5 inches 8 lines, 
„ of wings, 14|- inches, 
„ of tail, 5 ^ inches. 
„ of tarsus, 5 inches 5 lines. 
„ of middle toe, 5 inches 2 lines. 
„ of hallux, 3 inches 5 lines. 
Outer toe longer than the inner one. 
We have only seen this bird once in Labuan ; the speci- 
* Much of the above notice of the habits of the Megapodius is taken from a 
paper read to the Zoological Society in 1851, by L. L. D, 
