32 
Mr. S. S. Allen on the Birds of Egypt. 
colli antici circumdante ochracea, lateraliter nigricante strio- 
lata, infra nigro cincta; fascia altera^ngusta ventrali cas- 
tanea; supracaudalibus, basi caudse rectricibusque tribus 
exterioribus albis, harum secunda et tertia anguste fulvo 
bifasciatis; reliquis pallide fuliginosis, indistincte ferrugi- 
neo limbatis, apicibus albis; quarta macula pogonii in- 
terni et externi, quinta pogonii interni alba: remigibus 
nigro-fuscis indistinctius ferrugineo limbatis; primae basi 
tota reliquarum parte basali pogonii interni albis; cubita- 
libus notseo pallidioribus, apicibus albo limbatis: subalari- 
bus albidis, ex parte irregulariter fusco fasciatis : rostro 
nigro, tomiis pallidioribus; iride brunnea : pedibus pallide 
violacescenti-ochraceis. Long, tota 9 "; latitudo ext. al. 18 ,r ; 
long, rostri et fronte 6 n 7'"; alse 6 n ; caudse 3" 2" r ; tarsi 2" 
3'3"'; digiti medii sine ungue 7" 7 1 "; dig. lat. 4" 8"' } poll, 
et lin. Gall. 
This Plover is nearly allied to Cursorius in form; but the top of 
the beak is less curved downwards, and the maxilla at the top is a 
little inflated : the nasal apertures are not oval but rather cuneate 
and very much elongated. The second remex is somewhat 
longer than the first. The legs are very long, and scutellated on 
both sides. The three toes are rather lengthened, the middle 
and outer ones being connected by a faint indication of a mem¬ 
brane. The inner margin of the claw of the middle toe is di¬ 
stinctly dentated. The subcuneate tail consists of 12 rectrices. 
The unique specimen here described was obtained near Gon- 
dokoro, on the White Nile, in the Bari country, in 5° N. lat. 
The bird appears to be rather rare. 
III .—Notes on the Birds of Egypt. By S. Stafford Allen. 
[Continued from vol. iv. p. 361.] 
4. The Buff-backed Heron (Herodias bubulcus). 
Perhaps the most conspicuous bird that catches the eye of the 
traveller in Egypt is the Buff-backed Heron [Herodias bubulcus; 
Ardea russata , Yarr. & Gould; Bubulcus ibis , Bonaparte), in 
its winter plumage of pure white, which is to be met with in 
flocks of from four or five to thirty, distributed all over the 
country. 
