ORNITHOLOGY. 295 



TIGER BITTERN. 



The Asiatic Society's Museum in Calcutta contains 

 specimens of a curious tiger-bittern received from Arracan. 

 Tigrisoma melalophos. 



ADJUTANT. 



Among the problems given Dr. Heifer to solve when he 

 visited our shores, was, to ascertain if the breeding of ad- 

 jutants takes place here, " as well as its manner." He 

 replied on returning to Calcutta : "The Ciconia argala, 

 or the common Calcutta adjutant, is never seen on that 

 Coast." Here he was mistaken. It is very common in 

 Province Amherst ; and it builds its nest, the Karens in- 

 form me, in the inaccessible summits of the mural lime- 

 stone rocks, and occasionally near the tops of large wood- 

 oil trees. 



The under tail-coverts are delicate and floating, form- 

 ing plumes of the most exquisite texture, which, in Maul- 

 main command a high price. These plumes are known 

 in England by the term marabou, a name taken from the 

 African species. The natives tell me there are two species 

 of adjutants, one of which produces finer plumes than the 

 other ; but I have seen only one, and doubt the existence 

 of two species. 



Ciconia argala, Vigors. 



Leptoptilas argala. 



Argala gigantea. 



o^8o5n ^goSii gc£(c§sii O0JG0J. c8J585h 

 §*§sogc8« (with handsomest plumes.) 



BLACK AND WHITE WADING-BIRD. 



A bird described as a crane, or tantalus, with a white 

 breast, and black bill, head, and back, is found in Am- 

 herst province, but I have never seen it. A part of the 

 plumes offered for sale are said to be the under tail-coverts 

 of this bird, but inferior to those furnished by the adjutant. 



