18 Osteological Studies of the Subfamily Ardeince. 
passes down the shaft for a short distance on its outer and anterior 
aspect. 
On the outer and proximal end of the femur, the trochanter 
major is broad and nodular. The shaft below this point, to where 
it begins to expand for the condyles, is nearly straight, and quite 
cylindrical. Its muscular lines are distinct and raised ; on the 
posterior aspect, above the middle, the nutrient foramen is to be 
seen. It opens in a direction obliquely from above downwards. 
Just above the anterior ridge of the external condyle, I find 
in all herons, the antero-external aspect, a prominent and elongated 
tubercle. It has to do with muscular attachment, and one of the 
muscular lines is deflected from its course to run into its upper end. 
The condyles of this bone are strong and massive. The artic¬ 
ular surface of the inner one is broad behind, and so far produced 
in this locality as to render the popliteal depression appear more 
than usually concave and excavated. Above each condyle behind 
is seen a well marked tubercle, with pits on their outer sides for 
the insertion of lateral ligaments and muscles. The external con¬ 
dyle has the usual fibular groove, deeply cleft and carried down 
well nigh its base, behind ; it is more prominent than its fellow, 
though not as broad. Between them, the inter-condyloid fossa is 
moderately deep, rather wide, and carried up on the anterior aspect 
of the shaft as a “ rotular channel ’ ’ of like dimensions, though 
not mounting as high as it does in some birds. Of these two con¬ 
dyles, the external one is rather the lower, the femur being held in 
the vertical position. 
I fail to find a patella present in any of th z Ardeince ; in Nyc- 
ticorax a thickening in the ligament takes place at the usual site 
of this sesamoid in other long-legged birds where it is found, but 
this ligamentous enlargement is entirely devoid of any osseous de¬ 
posit. 
The tibia of Ardea herodias as we might know is a very long 
bone, and in every particular typical as found in Herons gener¬ 
ally. Viewed directly from above, on its proximal end (Fig. 21), 
we observe that it has a roughly quadrilateral outline, its general 
surface sloping towards the fibular side. 
The intercondyloid tubercle is prominent, and situated rather 
external to the centre of this surface, while anteriorly it is bounded 
by a low cuemial crest. 
Regarding the shaft from in front (Fig. 23), we notice that 
