364 Mr. R. Swinhoe on the Ornithology 



The tail contains twelve nearly equal feathers, ending in mu- 

 eronate tips. Tarsi 1*2 in. ; claws not much curved, laterally cul- 

 trate. Three male specimens varied in length of wing, mea- 

 suring respectively 4*9 in., 4*7, 4'6. The bills of all are a fine 

 orange ; their legs and claws more dingy, and washed with yel- 

 low. In one the vent was white, in the other two light chestnut, 

 all spotted and broadly edged with black and chestnut. The rictal 

 bristles are pure white. The tips of some of the coronal feathers 

 are a little sullied, and in one specimen the throat has a few arrow- 

 head black spots. A few white filaments, about half an inch long, 

 extend from the white nuchal edge over the black of the back. 

 On the carpal edge of wing a tubercle or wart is rather conspi- 

 cuous. It occurs, I find, though smaller, in the Formosan Oreo- 

 cincla and in Turdus daulias, also in a still lesser degree in the 

 Garrulaces, and probably in most other species of this group. It 

 is, of course, an abortive wing-spur, which in Turdus dactylopterus, 

 Bp., of Syria appears to have acquired a full development. 



From Jerdon's description (vol. i. p. 527) of Merula castanea, 

 Gould, I think our bird is most nearly affine to that species : its 

 black upper coloration seems to supply a link between that bird 

 and the true Meruline type. It has also some characters draw- 

 ing it close to the Geocichla. 



I have, through the successful chasse of a friend, lately pro- 

 cured two pairs of Spoonbills, which it is incumbent on me to 

 describe at some length, as the authors of the ' Fauna Japonica' 

 established the two species Platalea major and P. minor on quite 

 immature individuals. 



(1.) Platalea, 2 (shot, 7th March, in Tamsuy harbour). 

 Length 33 inches; wing 15 ; tail 5; bill, from base of frontal 

 feathers to tip, 7*5 ; bare tibia 3 ; tarsi 5*5 ; mid-toe and claw 

 3*8. Bill flesh-coloured, mottled with blackish on the edge of 

 lower mandible, and along the upper mandible as far as spatule. 

 Inside of bill and mouth flesh-coloured. Bare face-skin flesh- 

 coloured, more or less tinged with yellow. Occipital feathers 

 somewhat elongated. Plumage white, except part of some outer 

 quills, the shafts of the quills, and of a few other wing-feathers, 

 which are a faded blackish brown. Legs purplish black. Irides 

 yellowish brown. 



