Ardea intermedia Wagler, Isis (1829), 659.
Mesophoyx intermedia Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1898), 26,
85; Hand-List (1899), 1, 195; Oates, Cat. Birds' Eggs (1902), 2,
115; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 32.
Bohol (Steere Exp.); Calayan (McGregor); Mindanao (Everett);
Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Whitehead); Samar (Steere
Exp.). Indian Peninsula, Malayan Archipelago, China, Japan.
"Adult male in breeding plumage.--Pure white above and below; the head
crested, but having no drooping plumes; long ornamental plumes of back
immensely developed, being 430 mm. in length; feathers on the fore
neck beautifully developed, 200 mm. long, the webs entirely broken up;
bare part of tibia entirely black like the tarsi and toes. 'Bill black,
facial skin green; iris yellow; feet and toes black.' (Oates.) Length,
about 208; culmen, 74; wing, 317; tail, 137; tarsus, 114; middle toe
with claw, 99.
"Adult female.--Similar to the male, but the ornamental plumes not
so much developed.
"Adults in winter plumage.--Pure white, but losing the ornamental
plumes altogether. 'Bill yellow, with blackish tip.' (Oates.)
"Young.--Entirely like the adults in winter plumage; the texture of
the plumage soft and downy, and devoid of ornamental plumes." (Sharpe.)
"Comparatively rare and very shy. Fairly abundant about the Laguna
de Naujan in Mindoro." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)
Genus HERODIAS Boie, 1822.
Of very large size and plumage entirely pure white.