1152 
AEDEOLA GEAYI. 
vicinity of the fort roosted in the trees in the “ Gun Park,'” retiring some time before dark, and perching 
tamely on the branches close to the road. It is proverbial in India for its tameness ; and it manifests an equally 
confiding disposition in Ceylon, forbearing to fly up until approached very close, and then merely shifting its 
ground but slightly, or alighting on a fence, stump, or branch of a tree close at hand. Its tame disposition has 
earned for it in India the opprobrious names mentioned in the synonymy ; but in Ceylon its Sinhalese name 
has reference only to its flesh, which the natives consider good eating. When watching motionless by a pool, 
often standing up to its knees among grass, with its head drawn in, its brown back towards the spectator, 
and its white wings concealed, it is astonishing how very unobservable it is ; but the instant it spreads out its 
wings to take flight, an attractive white bird catches the eye with almost startling effect, owing to its previous 
invisibility. The Tamuls, according to Layard, have a proverb that, like this Heron, the deceitful man only 
occasionally shows himself in his true colours. When startled suddenly it rises with a short hoarse ko-ake, 
which is almost the only note one ever hears, except at the breeding-time. It rarely perches on lofty trees, 
preferring stumps, branches of fallen trees near water, stakes, and fences ; and, except when going off to roost, 
it rarely takes long flights ; the movements of its wiugs consist of quick flaps, unlike that of other Herons. 
Progs are its favourite food ; but it likewise catches water-beetles, crabs, and fish, moderately large examples 
of which I have taken from the stomach of one shot on the Colombo Lake. 
Nidification . — The Paddy-bird breeds in May and J une in the south of the island ; it retires to unfre- 
quented localities to nest, sometimes to an island in a lake. In such a situation on the Kogalla Lake, near 
Galle, I once found a large colony of Pond-Herons breeding in a grove of Kadool trees ( IVtizophora mucronata ) 
with which the islet was girt. The nests were built in the forks of branches, and were platforms of sticks and 
twigs without any lining, measuring from 8 inches to a foot in diameter. In some trees there were as many 
as five or six nests. The eggs were from two to four in number ; but the average number in a clutch was 
four ; they varied in shape, some being equally rounded at both ends, others somewhat pointed at the small 
end. The colour is pale bluish green, and the average size of a number of specimens is 1'57 by 1T8 inch. 
Many nests contained young ; hut, singular to say, only one ; and what had become of the others I cannot 
say. They scrambled out of the nests and crawled along the branches with considerable agility, holding on 
with their claws when seized. 
In Upper India, writes Mr. Hume, this species breeds in July and August, but in the south in December. 
Mr. Oates says that in Burmah, occasionally, it apparently nests in reeds. 
Genus BUTOEIDES. 
Bill quite straight, the terminal portion acute ; under mandible markedly slender, but with 
the gonys pronounced. Wings pointed, the 1st and 2nd quills subequal and longest ; tertials 
equal to the primaries. Tibia more feathered than in the last. Tarsus short ; tarsal scales 
transverse, but polygonal or angulated at the sides. Toes short. 
Head crested; plumage of the neck elongated ; scapulars lanceolate and not decomposed. 
No change of plumage in the breeding-season. Of semi-nocturnal habit. 
