History of Birds,” appears to be the most allied to it But the head of that bird is described as being bare ; and such a marked difference prevents us from referring our bird to that species, with which it generally agrees in other points, without some note of doubt. Our specimen is unfortunately very defective : in the quill feathers, and fore parts of the neck, more particularly. These latter are described by Mqjor Denham as singularly beautiful, being elongated and swelling out into a kind of ruff. We are happy to have the opportunity of distinguishing this bird by the name of the enterprising traveller to whose zeal we are indebted for the species itself, and many other valuable acquisitions to science. This species was met with, in the rainy season, near the larger towns, but not in any great abundance. It frequented moist places, where the herbage was pure and fresh. In such places it was taken in snares by the natives, who used it for food. It was almost invariably met with singly, Major Denham never having observed a pair together more than once'. It is singular, also, that it was always found in company with Gazelles .- whenever a Bustard was observed, it was certain that the Gazelles were not far distant. Major Denham describes the eye of this bird as large and brilliant: In like manner as is recorded of the Gazelle, with which this bird seems to have so close a sympathy, the Arabs are accustomed to compare the eyes of their most beautiful women to those of the Oubara *. Ordo. G r a l l a t o r e s . 111. Fam. G r u id æ . V. in Linn. Trans. Genus. B a l e a r ic a . Brisk, Species 12. Balearica pavonina. Ardea pavonina. Linn. I. 28,3. Balearica. Briss.v. 511. Oiseau royal, f Id. Ib. pi. 41. L’oiseau royal. Î PL E n l . 265. Crowned African Crane. Edxe. t. 192. Crowned Heron. Lath. Gen. Hist. IX. p. 26. * Oubara seems to be a general name for the Bustards in Africa. A smaller species than the present, of that country, has received this name as a specific title from M. Gmelin. These birds were found in the neighbourhood of the smaller lakes. They were generally observed in flocks of six or eight. A single pair was sometimes met with, but a single bird scarcely ever. Genus. P l a t a l e a . Linn. Species 13.—Platalea leucorodia, Platalea leucorodia. Linn. I. 231, La Spatule. PI. Enl. 405. Spatule blanche. Temm, Manuel <POrn. p. 595. White Spoonbill. Penn. Brit. Zool. App. t 9. These birds were found in tire smaller lakes, and in grounds which were overflowed. They were met with in tolerable plenty. Fam. A r d e id .e . Leach. Genus. A r d e a . Auct. Species 14.—Ardea Coromandelensis. Ardea Coromandelensis. Sleph. in Shaw’s Gen. Zool XI. p. 577. Ardea russata. Temm. Manuel d’Om. p. 506. Ardea affinis ? Horsf. Linn. Trans. Vol. XIII. p. 189. Ardea cornata, var. 0. Lath. Ind. Orn. 687, Crabier de la còté de Coromandel. PI. Enl 910. This bird was shot in the neighbourhood of Alplr, a town situated in the middle of a swamp, described at page 233 of these travels. They were seen in some abundance in that neighbourhood, and were noticed by Major Denham as remarkable for their beauty and gracefulness. Species 15.—Ardea melanocephala. Ard. cinerea ; capite cristato, colli parte posteriore lateribusque, regione ìnterhumerali, remigibus, rectricibusque nigris, gulà colliqtte parte anteriore albis. Colli inferioris plum® elongat® cinerascentes. Dorsi pars anterior inter humeros nigra, posterior saturatè cinerea. Ptila pallidè cinerea. Tectrices inferiores alb®. Rostrum nigrum, mandibuld inferiore fiavescente, apicem dd
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