OCR Text |
Show 1877.] MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE IBIDINSE. 489 character sufficient to establish a species. In the Pondicherry example the desiccated plumes adorning the back are of a pale pearly white, indeed almost white, agreeing with Swinhoe's bird, which shows that this species varies in the colour of these plumes among individuals. I have never seen these feathers of the rich dark hue exhibited by 1. cethiopica. Swinhoe speaks of Jerdon's description of I. melanocephala as showing that bird to have " black quills." It is true that Jerdon speaks of the " quills black with green reflections;" but this is evidently an error that he inadvertently made, because, lower down the page, he compares the present species with the /. cethiopica (as I. religiosa), and states they differ in the colour of their quills, the present species having the " apical portion hardly blackish, whilst in I. religiosa they are greenish-black." He might have said that the I. melanocephala when fully adult had the quills pure white. Blyth states that occasionally the bare neck of this species is coloured behind like that of /. strictipennis (I. cethiopica), as figured by Gould in the ' Birds of Australia;' and also, contrary to what is stated by Mr. Gould, this species differs from I. cethiopica and resembles the Australian /. strictipennis in having the long pectoral, plumes when in breeding-dress. The naked portion of the neck is considerably less extended thaa in I. cethiopica. Head and neck denuded of feathers, skin black, occasionally with reddish bars across the back of neck. Scapulars and tertials with open lengthened barbs, rather thin in substance, and falling over the wing ; the colour of these varies in individuals from a pearly white to almost a black shade. Rest of plumage and wings pure white. In the breeding-season the lower feathers of neck in front are much lengthened. Bill black ; feet black. Total length about 29 inches ; wings 14 inches ; tail 5 inches; bill along culmen 6f to 7\ inches ; tarsus 4 inches. Young.-The head and neck covered with short feathers, at first dark brown, then white ; and the lengthened scapulars are absent. 4. THAUMATIBIS GIGANTEA. Ibis gigantea, Oustalet, Bull. Soc. Philomat. (1877) ser. 7, torn. i. p. 25. Hab. Cochin China. This fine species was sent to the Paris Museum by M . Harmond from Cochin China. There was only one skin, and that of a bird not in adult plumage. It is remarkable for its great size, approaching to that of the species of Tantalus. In fact it is a bird with the body of a Tantalus and the bill, legs, and feet of an Ibis. It is difficult to tell by the present specimen what would be the colours of the adult plumage; but the wing would apparently be for the greater part a silvery grey. It forms a seeming link between the genera Tantalus and Ibis; and as it obviously cannot be placed in any existing genus, I propose for it the term Thaumatibis, with the following characters: - Head large, skull almost square on top, which, together v-ith the |