THE BIRDS OF THE MADHUBANI SUB-DIVISION. 73 



Order— HERODIONES. 



Sub-order Platale<e. 



Family Ibididce. 



(272) Ibis melanocephala. — The White Ibis. 

 Blanford, No. 1541 ; Hume, No. 941. 



Scarce in the sub-division except near Minti, where a flock of about fifty 

 was seen in February. The 27th May is the latest date on which I have got 

 this species ; a fine male in breeding plumage being secured on that date. The 

 testes were greatly enlarged. The skin of the win^ in the young bird is fleshy. 

 I have not found this species breeding here. Nntive name Hasoo dahil, 



(273) Inocotis papillosus. — The Black Ibis. 

 Blanford, No. 1542 ; Hume, No. 942. 



Very common. I have taken eggs from March to August. A pair com- 

 menced building on the 23rd September, but deserted the nest. Most of the 

 nests were on Simul (Bombax sp.), generally single, though I have found two 

 nests close to each other. One nest with two fresh eggs was found on a pipal 

 (F % religiosa). It was an old nest of O.calvus, but the Ibises had lined it with 

 mango leaves and grass. This is called the " Planter's Friend " by many 

 Europeans on account of the number of crickets they kill in the indigo fields ; 

 some people also call it the curlew. Native name Karankal. 



(274) Plegadis falcinellus.— The Glossy Ibis. 

 Blanford, No. 1544 ; Hume, No. 943. 

 I never came across this species in the sub-division, but it is fairly common 

 at some distance from Baghownie, on the Chilwara Chaur from March to May. 

 I have not found it breeding here. The head is the last to change into breed- 

 ing plumage. I have a bird with the back and wings in breeding plumage, 

 and also getting some chestnut feathen in the lower plumage, but the head is 

 in winter plumage. Native name Kavaira. 



Family Plataleklo?. 

 (275) Platalea leucorodia. — The Spoonbill. 

 Blanford, No. 1545 ; Hume, No. 939. 

 I have seen few spoonbills near Jainagar and Narhar, but Scroope saw a 

 big flock containing 42 birds at Kolwahi, a village a few miles from Narhar. 

 One of my men says he saw about a couple of hundred on the Minti Chaur 

 in February. I have got specimens from November to the middle of April. 

 Native name Koorpia dabil. 



Sub-order Ciconi^e. 

 Family Ciconiidce.. 

 (276) Ciconia alba.— The White Stork. 

 Blanford, No. 1546 ; Hume, No. 919. 

 Very common during the cold weather. They arrive about the end of 

 October and remain to the end of March. Numbers are snared by the mir- 

 shikar with birdlime. Sometimes they are very tame and I have shot them 

 dead with No. 6 shot. Native names Ghybur and Burra Eehva, 

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