Ardea purpurea madagascariensis, nov. subsp. from Madagascar

The purple heron of Madagascar is a much darker bird than Ardea purpurea L. of Europe and Africa. The fore part of the throat and the neck are streaked with black like in this species, but the black streaks are broader and more numerous. The black lines, running down each side of the neck are much broader. The upper parts are olivaceous-brown; back, ends of inner secondaries and tail blackish brown with green gloss, especially on the back. The harrow, elongated plumes depending from the scapulars and inner secondaries are not hoary grey and light rufous like in Ardea purpurea L., but brownish grey and darker rufous. The lateral feathers of the lower neck are olivaceous brownish grey, not slaty grey like in purpurea. In the Leyden Museum there are two specimens from Madagascar: a male from the northwest coast, collected by van Dam, and a female, showing the same differences, collected at Foulpointe, East Madagascar, 2 November 1875 by J. Audebert. The first-named specimen has already been mentioned by Hartlaub, as being of a very intensive coloration (Vög. Madag. 1877, p. 296). The measurements are: wing ♂ 355, ♀ 345; culmen ♂ 140, ♀ 132; tarso-met. ♂ 124, ♀ 112 mm.