132 
ARDEINjE. erodius. 
duff Carfrae to be prepared, was minutely examined by me. 
A very full description does not accord with the plan of this 
work, and will be given elsewhere ; but enough may be stated 
here to shew the difference between Erodius Victoria, E. 
albus, and E. Egretta, which are very intimately allied. 
Erodius Yictorise is much larger in all its dimensions than 
E. albus, which exceeds E. Egretta. The bill is long, stout, 
compressed, tapering ; the upper mandible with the dorsal 
line straight for two-thirds, then slightly declinato-convex, 
the ridge broad at the base, narrow but convex in the rest of 
its extent, the nasal depression narrow, elongated, with a 
groove from its fore part extending nearly to a third from the 
tip, the sides convex, the edges direct and sharp ; lower man- 
dible with the angle long and extremely narrow, the dorsal 
line slightly ascending, the sides sloping outwards and con- 
cave, the edges sharp, the tip acute ; the gape-line straight, 
commencing under the centre of the eye, at first somewhat 
sinuate, and toward the end slightly deflected. A large bare 
space on each side of the head, extending from the base of 
the bill to a little behind the eye and angle of the mouth. 
This bare space is bright verdigris green ; the base of the bill 
also on each side is green of a lighter tint, as far as the nos- 
trils ; but all the rest is deep black, excepting the two tips, 
which are greenish-grey or horn-colour, to the extent of an 
inch. These particulars are taken from the newly-killed 
bird. The occipital feathers are very slightly elongated, 
being an inch and a half in length. The dorsal plumes have 
rather firm, though slender, straightish shafts, the longest 
extending two inches and a half beyond the tail, and sixteen 
inches in length. The bare part of the tibia and the upper 
part of the tarsus are flesh-coloured ; the scutella of the tarsi 
and toes dusky-brown ; the hind part of the tarsus and the 
soles dusky flesh-coloured ; the claws brownish-black. The 
plumage white with a faint tint of yellowish. 
Erodius albus, which is considerably smaller, has the bill 
long, stout, compressed, tapering ; the upper mandible with 
the dorsal line straight for two-thirds from the base, then 
slightly declinato-convex, the ridge broad at the base, narrow 
but convex in the rest of its extent, the nasal depression 
narrow, elongated, with a groove from its fore part extending 
nearly to a third from the tip, the sides convex, the edges 
direct and sharp ; lower mandible with the angle long and 
extremely narrow, the dorsal line slightly ascending; the 
sides sloping outwards and concave, the edges sharp, the tip 
