An overlooked Heron of the javan ornis

Meyer and Wiglesworth state in the »Birds of Celebes”, Vol. II, 1898, p. 857, that Ixobrychus eurhythma has been observed in Java, a specimen from that island received from von Schierbrand being in the Dresden Museum. It seems that this statement is overlooked by all authors who have written in recent time about the ornis of Java: Vorderman, Finsch, Koningsberger and Bartels. In the »Hand-list of the genera and species of birds”, Vol. I, 1899, Sharpe does not mention Java in the distribution of this species. Dubois however, in the second volume of his »Synopsis Avium”, 1904, gives Java as a locality where this heron is observed. The Leyden Museum also possesses a specimen from Java. This is a young example, collected in 1827 near Buitenzorg, W. Java, by S. Müller, and catalogued in 1803 by Schlegel under the name of Ardea cinnamomea n° 13. Schlegel confused our species, which was described not before 1873 by Swinhoe, with Ixobrychus cinnamomea (Gmelin), as is shown by this example and by n° 14 of his Catalogue, a young bird from Borneo, collected by Schwaner, which too belongs to eurhythma. this species with cinnamomea, Also Finsch has confused for the bird from Borneo of the Nieuwenhuis-collection, mentioned by him on page 149 of Vol. XXVI, 1905—’06, of the »Notes from the Leyden Museum”, under the name of Ardetta cinnamomea, is a true Ixobrychus eurhythrna (Swinhoe). I wonder that this could be done, as the coloration of the remiges in the two species is quite different, in cinnamomea cinnamon-rufous and in eurhythma ashy brown or blackish brown. Of Ixobryckus eurhythma (Swinhoe) — Ardetta eurhythma. Ibis, 1873, p. 73, pl. II — the Leyden Museum possesses: N° 1, juv., Java, Buitenzorg, 1827. S. Müller coll.