Calcutta, with Notes by H. E. Strickland. 119 



dress, and I trust this season to come to some distinct understanding 

 of the variations here noticed. 



No. 188. I did not observe a single specimen of this ' Adjutant ' 

 during the last period of the sojourn of the common great species. 



No. 189. A young male of the Bengal jabiru, moulting into the 

 adult plumage, measured 4 ft. 5 inches in total length by 7£ ft. in 

 alar expanse ; wing 23^ in. ; tail 8 J in. ; beak to forehead 13 in., and 

 2 in. deep at base ; bare part of tibia 9 in. ; tarsi 13 in.; middle toe 

 and claw 4^ in. Another male, in full plumage, but retaining a few 

 scattered nestling feathers, showing its age to be about the same as 

 that of the last, corresponds exactly in its dimensions. An old fe- 

 male is smaller, especially its legs, the bare part of the tibia measuring 

 but 7\ inches; tarsi scarcely 11^ in., and middle toe and claw 4 in. ; 

 bill to forehead 12j in., and closed wing 22 in. Bill black ; irides 

 of young dark, and legs dark brownish-lake ; but the latter appear, 

 in the adults, to have been coral-red (referring however to Mr. Jer- 

 don's catalogue, I perceive that he assigns " rosy-red " as the colour 

 of the legs of this species). The mouth, anterior scapularies, smaller 

 wing-coverts, primaries and secondaries, and the entire under-parts, 

 are white : head and neck brilliant steel- black, with green reflections ; 

 the crown reddish-purple, margined with brownish-green, and sur- 

 rounded by steel-purple : posterior scapularies, tertiaries, the two 

 greater ranges of wing-coverts, and the tail, bright green-black, va- 

 ried with steel-blue. The young have the neck and upper parts brown, 

 a little green-glossed, and indications of white upon the smaller 

 wing-coverts. This bird is easily tamed, and if brought up from the 

 nest may be suffered to range at large with impunity ; but it is apt 

 to attack strangers, its beak constituting a most formidable thrust- 

 ing weapon*. 



No. 196 is perfectly identical with the European species, of which 

 I have received a specimen from England, and have obtained two 

 others in this neighbourhood, besides several from various parts of 

 India. 



No. 198 a. I have obtained one specimen of a lapwing, closely 

 resembling the Vanellus leucurus (Licht.) figured by Savigny, and 

 which is stated in Griffith's work also to inhabit Tartary ; but it has 

 not the rufous-isabelline hue of the Egyptian bird, according to the 

 figure alluded to, nor the defined ash-coloured patch on the breast : 

 being chiefly of a grayish-brown, glossed with purplish-red upon the 

 back, the breast inclining to cinereous, throat white, and belly dull 

 rosy-white or somewhat deeply blushed ; tail pure white ; primaries 

 black, and the greater wing-coverts broadly tipped with white, the 

 next range more narrowly so ; bill black, and legs bright yellow ; no 

 trace of crest, wattles, or of spurs on the wing ; the irides reddish- 

 amber. Length (of a female) 1 1 inches by 23 in. in spread of wing, 

 the closed wing 6| in. ; bill 1J in., and tarsi 2|- in. 



* It appears from the above description that the Indian Mycteria is the 

 same with the M. australis from Australia. It cannot I think be referred 

 to the M. asiatica, Lath., as I before conjectured, and we have yet to learn 

 what bird is indicated by the latter name. — II. E. S. 



