Genus— N OTOPHOYX. 
Notophoyx Sharpe, Bull. Brit. Ornith. Club, Vol. V., 
p. xiii., 1896 . . . . . . . . . . Type N. novce-hollandice. 
Ardeene birds with long, somewhat stout biUs, long wings, and long legs 
and tail. 
The species are of varied coloration, not uniformly white as the three 
preceding genera. 
The head is crested, while no dorsal train of decomposed feathers is 
carried, but long lanceolate plumes can be observed on the back and also 
on the breast. 
The culmen is long and stout, about one-fourth the length of the wing, 
and more than half the length of the tail. 
The wing is long, with the third primary longest, the second about 
equal to the fourth, while the first is noticeably shorter. 
The tail is long, more than one-third the length of the wing. 
The legs are long, with a long exposed tibia, but for this group 
comparatively short, the metatarsus being only about one-third longer than 
the culmen. 
The toes and inter-webbing are typical Ardeine. 
Sharpe introduced the generic name Notophoyx, and designated as type 
the species Ardea novce-hollandice Latham. He associated with it the species 
Ardea pcccifica Latham, Ardea picata Gould, and Ardea aruensis Gray. 
As I find these species to be certainly as different from each other as 
the other accepted genera of Herons, I have separated the former under 
the generic name Myola, and the latter two, which prove to be conspecific, 
under the name Tonophoyx. 
It seems as well to here point out the differential features : — 
Sharpe’s diagnosis reads : “A full crest, but no elongated pair of nape 
plumes.” The species aruensis, however, has the crest elongated and nape 
plumes are dependent. 
Myola is similarly coloured to Notophoyx, and has a similar crest and 
dorsal ornament, but the ornamental breast-feathers are not lanceolate and 
the webs are disintegrated. The bird is a little larger, but the legs are notice- 
ably longer, while the culmen, though very slightly longer, is decidedly stouter. 
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