of the Island of Formosa. 365 



(2.) Platalea, j (paired with the foregoing, and shot same 

 date). Length 31 in. ; wing 13 ; tail 4'5 -, bill, from base of fron- 

 tal feathers, 7-2, and broader than in (1) ; bare tibia 2'4 ; tarsi 

 4-7 ; mid-toe and claw 3-6. Bill dark fleshy purple, ashy blue 

 along the furrow, and freckled and washed with the same on the 

 spatule. Sides of gonys and rest of the upper surface of the 

 upper mandible mottled with dull black, the mottling coalescing 

 on the base of upper mandible. Inside of the mandibles pale 

 flesh-coloured, tinged with purple, blacker in the mouth ; naked 

 face-skin purple-black. Occipital feathers somewhat elongated. 

 Plumage white ; the quills with less black than in no. (1). Legs 

 purplish black. Irides yellowish brown. 



The shape and colour of the bills of the above two birds 

 were so dissimilar, as also the colour of the face-skin and the 

 gular pouch of no. (1) running to an angle inwardly, while that 

 of (2) had the feathered skin encroaching angularly upon it, that, 

 when the specimens were first brought to me, I exclaimed, in 

 delight, "Behold a solution of thePlatalean riddle! — P.major and 

 P. minor of the ' Fauna Japonica ' are one and the same species." 

 I dissected the specimens, established their sexes, drew out de- 

 scriptions, and thought I had done a service to science. But 

 my triumph was not of long duration ; for, just ten days after, 

 my friend brought in another pair of Spoonbills, the sight of 

 which quite upset all my conclusions, and nearly drove me mad. 

 The female of the former pair was the larger; the female of this 

 latter pair was the smaller, and appeared almost identical with 

 the male of the former pair, while the last male had a deeply 

 corrugated and variegated bill, blood-red eyes, and a long crest 

 in quill, and was entirely white. But, to treat the matter scien- 

 tifically, we will desciibe this interesting couple. 



(3.) Platalea, § (shot, 17th March, in Tamsuy harbour). 

 Length 31"5 in.; wing 14; tail 5, of 12 feathei-s; bill, from 

 base of frontal feathers, 7*5 ; bare tibia 3 ; tarse 5 ; middle toe 

 and claw 3*7. Bill flesh-coloured, longitudinally streaked and 

 speckled with blackish, and mottled and freckled with slate- 

 colour, chiefly about the spatule, the furrow being slate-colour. 

 Bill not quite so dark as that of (2). Bare face-skin dull 

 purplish brown. Inside of bill as in (2). Occipital feathers 



