490 
Mr. R. B. Sharpe on Birds from Fao. 
74. Crex crex (L.). 
Crew pratensis, Blanf. t. c. p. 288. 
[The Corn-Crake arrives in April. A stray bird is to be 
met with in June and July. They begin to increase in 
numbers from August, but lessen again towards mid 
November. By the commencement of December they 
appear to have all gone.] 
75. Ardea cinerea, L.; Blanf. t. c. p. 295. 
[Resident, breeding near Abdulla Bank.] 
76. Ardea purpurea, L.; Blanf. t. c. p. 295. 
No. 41. Two young specimens. 
[Resident, breeding in March and April near Abdulla 
Bank.] 
77. Ardetta minuta (L.) ; Blanf. t. c. p. 296. 
[No. 93. I cannot say I have seen this bird often, as it 
is very shy, but have heard its call throughout spring and 
summer immediately after sunset. The one sent to the 
Museum was caught alive in an old watercourse, where it 
was hiding in a hole on one side of the embankment.] 
78. Demiegretta gularis, Bose; Hume, Str. F. 1879, 
p. 114. 
No. 11. An adult in worn grey plumage, and a second 
specimen in white plumage with remains of ashy feathers. 
79. Demiegretta asha. 
[No. 11. Permanent resident. 
In young birds the plumage is white, beginning to change 
about the fifth month, and by the eighth month they have 
completed their ashy plumage. 
In April 1884, out of a consignment of eggs of D. asha 
brought from the Korseit side, there were several hatched in 
the boxes in which they were packed ; from these I took half 
a dozen to try and bring up by hand. With great trouble I 
succeeded with three, feeding them with finely chopped 
mudfish ( Gobius viridipunctatus and G. polynema). They 
became quite domesticated, and would fly all about the 
