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Birds of Celebes: Ardeidae. 
and on the broad muddy bank, left dry by the ebb, swarms of white Herons 
(Ardea garzetta). Spoonbills (Platalea), white-necked Storks (Dissoura episcopm) 
and small shore-birds. I could not possibly withstand this sight, gave orders 
to anchor, was put ashore and was so fortunate as to kill two splendid examples 
of the Stork with both barrels. At the report the remaining birds took to flight 
with loud cries, and for a long time afterwards I saw the beautiful Spoonbills 
describing wide cii-cles in the air at an unattainable height, until the falling 
darkness removed them from my eyes. In the hope of getting another couple 
of lucky shots next morning, I remained there. At sunrise indeed the birds 
made their appearance, but were so shy that it was impossible to approach 
within range”. 
Ihe species was most likely Plutalea inelanwhyncha Rchb., known from 
limor and Australia and straggling to New Zealand, or P. intermedia Grant, 
from New Guinea and Borneo. The plumage is, of course, white, and Mr. 
Ogilvie-Grant (Ibis 1889, 52, pi. I) distinguishes Platalea intermedia from 
melanorhyncha by its having “the naked skin of the forehead and throat, as well 
as the culmen, intense black, without any yellow spots above the eyes, and the 
spatule rounded, instead of being obtusely truncate”. The primaries with 
black tips. The birds seen by Rosenberg might also have been P. minor 
T. & S. of China and Japan, or even P. major, which ranges from Egypt and India 
to Japan. It is impossible to say what Spoonbills may ultimately be found in 
Celebes. 
SUBORDER ARDEAE. 
Two remarkable African species, the Hammer-head, Scopus umbretta, and 
the Shoe-bill, Palaeniceps rex, represent distinct families or subfamilies of the 
Herons. Scopus seems to be in many respects intermediate between the true 
Herons and the Storks, while Balaeniceps, though perhaps standing nearer to 
the true Herons, differs from them in some important characters, such as its 
enormous bill, furnished with a praemaxillary hook, its havnig no powder-down 
patches on the ventral surface, no serrations on the middle claw, the tongue much 
reduced, etc. (see Gadow, in Bronn’s Kl. & Ord. VI, 4, Aves II, 137, 139). 
The remaining forms constitute the family Ardeidae. 
FAMILY ARDEIDAE. 
Ihe true Herons may generally be distinguished at a glance from most other 
birds by the long neck, legs, and straight, pointed bill; on the gi-ound they 
walk with a sedate, elastic stride, rarely, or never, running (wherein they differ 
from the Rails, etc.); in flight they are characterized by the ample, slowly 
moving wings and the feet stretched out far beyond the short tail. The forms 
most like them in general appearance are the Storks and, in some ways, the 
