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Show 412 MR. R. SWINHOE ON THE BIRDS OF CHINA. [May 2, 586. EGRETTA MODESTA (Gray). Ardea modesta, J. E. Gray, Zool. Misc. p. 19 ; 111. Ind. Zool. pl. 49. Ardea syrmatophora, Gould, P. Z. S. 1846 ; B. of Austr. pl. Ardea egretta!, Ibis, 1860, p. 64, 1861, p. 51. Herodias alba, Ibis, 1863, p. 417, 1866, p. 295, 1867, p. 387, 1870, p. 365 ; P. Z. S. 1863, p. 319, 1870, p. 427- Prof. Schlegel (Mus. des Pays-Bas) maintains that the E. alba of Europe is constantly of a larger form than the White Heron of Africa, Asia, and Australia; but he identifies the latter with the American White Heron, A. egretta, Gmel. (leuce, Illiger). I have compared an adult male from Canton with an adult male from America in Mr. Salvin's collection. The Chinese bird has a tarse f inch longer than the American, but is otherwise of nearly similar proportions; it has a more compressed head, a black bill, and a considerably longer dorsal train. Mr. Salvin says that he has never heard of the American bird acquiring a black bill, and agrees with me in considering it distinct from the East-Asian bird. With the African E. flavirostris, Temm., I have not been able to make comparison. The European E. alba, like our bird, has the bill yellow in winter, black in summer, and would appear to be a larger edition of the same, in fact a larger conspecies. In the same way the Cali-fornian White Heron seems to be a larger conspecies of the E. leuce of South-eastern North America. There is no harm in recognizing them as species. Throughout China, Hainan, and Formosa. 587. EGRETTA INTERMEDIA (V. Hasselq.). Herodias intermedia, Ibis, 1861, p. 344; P. Z. S. 1863, p. 319, 1870, p. 427. Herodias egrettoides, Ibis, 1861, p. 261. Bill yellow throughout the year, tipped with black. Canton; Hankow. 588. GARZETTA EGRETTA (Brisson). Herodias garzetta, Ibis, 1860, pp. 64, 429, 1861, p. 52, 1862, p. 258, 1863, p. 417, 1870, p. 365; P. Z. S. 1863, p. 319, 1870, p. 427. Southern China, Hainan, and Formosa. 589. GARZETTA EULOPHOTES. Herodias eulophotes, Swinh. Ibis, 1860, p. 64, 1863, p. 418; P.Z.S. 1863, p. 320. Amoy; North Formosa. 590. BUBULCUS COROMANDUS. Buphus coromandus (Bodd.), Ibis, 1860, p. 64, 1861, p. 52, 1862, p. 258, 1863, p. 419, 1865, p. 234 ; P. Z. S. 1863, p. 320. Summer visitant to South China and Formosa. |