portion of the tibia, the tarsi, toes, and claws, greenish black. The base of the
upper mandible, and the bare space before and behind each eye, gamboge-
yellow, the remainder of the mandible liver-brown ; the lower mandible towards
the tip reddish-brown, elsewhere light-yellow. Eyes gamboge-yellow.
Young.
The upper surface of the head and the back, and the sides of the neck,
pearl-gröy, with more or less of a rusty tin t; the sides of the head pearl-grey,
tinted with greyish black; interscapulars pearl-grey, strongly tinted with
clove-brown, and glossed with green. The scapulars and lesser wing coverts
rusty pearl-grey ; the primary quill feathers coloured as in the adult, only the
tint not so vivid ; the outer vanes of all the secondaries edged with pearl-grey ;
edges of the shoulder and axilla white; the outer vanes of the"false wing
feathers greenish black, the inner ones pearl-grey. Chin, sides of neck
anteriorly, and throat rusty-white, the latter marked with a distinct longitudinal
stripe of light yellowish brown; lower part of throat and breast
pale pearl-grey with a rusty tinge; belly and vent yellowish white; outer
sides of thighs pearl-grey tinted with yellowish grey; Bill and legs coloured
like those of the adult, only the reddish-brown tint is more distinct.
F o rm , &c.—Figure rather robust, resembling that of the common heron
{Ardea major) ; head bushy and with two or three feathers, each about six
inches in length, hanging from the nape. Bill rather short, very strong,
and pointed, the lower mandible rather longer than the upper. Wings
rounded, and when folded, reach nearly to the tip of the tail, the second
quill feather rather the longest, the first, third, and fourth rather shorter
and equal, the remainder rather shorter, and not quite so long as the
secondaries; the tertiary quill-feathers about an inch and a half shorter
than the primaries. The scapulars nearest to the centre of thé back
elongated, many of them extending considerably beyond the base of the
tail, and are narrow, pointed, and somewhat decomposed. The feathers of
the sides of the neck in front of the wings are long, pointed, and pendent
in front of the breast. Tail short and nearly eijual, or only slightly rounded.
Tarsi and toes robust, the former reticulatéd with large scales, the latter
coated with transverse plates ; about an inch and a half of the lower part of
tibia bare and covered with small scales. Claws strong, slightly curved, and
pointed; the outer and middle ones connected at the base by a distinct
rudimentary web ; the hinder claw the longest, strongest, and most curved.
ARDEA ATBICOLLIS.
DIMENSIONS.
Inches. Lines. Inches. T.inrts.
Length from the point of the bill to Length of the tarsus ............. ......... 5 10
the tip of the tail ............... 35 0 outer toe ........ ........ 2 4
of the bill to the angle of the middle toe __ ........ 2 10
mouth.................................. 5 6 inner toe ........ 1 ...... 2 0
of the wings when folded....... 16 0 hinder toe......... ........ 1 3
oftMe.tail ............... ................ .7 0
M a l e .—The exact colours not known.
This bird is seldom seen in South Africa, and all the specimens which came under my
observation were procured on the western coast of the Colony, towards the mouth of the
Orange River. It builds its nest upon trees, and the only adult specimen I myself obtained
was shot on leaving its nest, which was situated on the top of a tree immediately above one
of a bird of prey. The nest contained two young ones, and an addled e g g ; the latter was
of a greenish white colour.