1887.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 275 



I. propinqua is one of our greatest desiderata among Japanese birds. 

 It is very rare in collections; in fact, I am not aware of the existence 

 in any museum of a specimen except Blakiston's Xo. 1829 [formerlj- 

 in the Hakodadi ]Mus.], which was obtained by Dr. Hilgendorf at 

 Tokio, July 5tli, 1874, and those which he has recorded as being in the 

 Tokio museums. According to Messrs. Blakiston and Pryer, it is "not 

 uncommon about Omori, Tokio." We would, therefore, earnestlj' re- 

 quest the friends of our Museum to aid us in obtaining specimens of 

 the Black-headed Ibis, and in order to facilitate the identification I 

 reprint Mr. D. G. Elliot's description of the t3q)ical Ibis melanocephalus^ 

 as given on page 489, Ibis, 1877 : 



Head aud Deck denuded of feathers, skiu black, occasionally with reddish bars 

 across the back of neck. Scapulars and tertials with open lengthened barbs, rather 

 thin in substance, aud falling over the -wing; the color 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 mucji lengthened. 

 Bill black; feet black. Total length about 29 inches [737nim]; wings 14 inches 

 [356™""]; tail 5 inches [IS?'""!]; bill along culmen 6| to 7^ inches [171-190™™]; tarsus 

 4 inches [102™™]. 



Young. — The head and neck covered with short feathers, at first dark brown, 

 then white; and the lengthened scapulars are absent. 



Subfamily Platalein^, Spoonbills. 



PLATALEA Linn. 



1758.— Platalea Linn., S. N., 10 ed., I, p. 139 (type P. leucorodia Linn.). 



1760. — Platea Brisson, Ornith., V, p. 351 (same type). 



1761. — Platelea Linn., Fauna Suecica, 2 ed., p. 56 (emend.). 



I8o2.—Spatheroclia Reichenbach, Syst. Av.,p. xvi (type P. melanorhi/nchos Reichb.). 



1852. — Leacerodia Reichenbach, Syst. Av.,p. xvi (type P. nudifrons Cuv.). 



The Japanese fauna apparently possesses two species of Spoonbills, 

 which may be distinguished as follows : 



a'. Throat naked for a considerable distance from the base of the lower mandible ; 



naked skin of face and throat light colored, yellowish, or pinkish. ..P. major, 

 a-. Throat entirely feathered until between the mandibular rami ; naked skin 



blackish p. minor. 



(127.) Platalea major Temm. & Schl. 

 Japan Spoonbill. Hirosagi. 



IM'^.—I'latalea major Temminck & Schlegel, Fauna Japon., Aves (p. 119, pi. Ixxv). 



ScHLEGEL, Mus. P. Bas, Cicon., p. 21 (1865).— Martens, Preuss. Exp. Ost- 



As., Zool. Th., I, p. 105 (1866).— Whitely, Ibis, 1867, p. 204. —Dresser, B. 



of Eur., VI, p. 324 (1873).— M'Vean, Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc, Ediub., 1877, 



p. — , extr., p. 7.— Blakist. & Pryer, Ibis, 1878, p. 223.— /;(?., Tr. As. Soc. 



Jap., VIII, 1880, p. 193.— /k?., ibid., X, 1882, p. 117.— Seebohji, Ibis, 1879, 



p. 27.— Blakist., Chrjsanth., 1883, Jan., p. 28. 

 1877. — Platalea japonica Reichenow, Journ. f. Orn., 1877, p. 1.59. 

 1^^'^.— Platalea leucorodia Seeboh.m, Ibis, 1882, p. 370 {nee Linn.).— /(?., Brit. B, 



Eggs, II, p. 514 (1884).— Blakist., Amend. List B. Jap., pp. 12, 40 (1884.) 



The problem of the Japanese Spoonbills has of late become more 

 complicated than ever, and, unfortunately, my material is too scanty to 



