54 PLATAiEID^. 



Platalea a,ia, Gundl. Orn. Cuba, p. 160 (1876). 



Platalea rosea, Reichen. J.f. O. 1877, p. 157. 



Ajaja rosea, Eidgw. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. iii. p. 10 (1880) ; CoueSf 



Check-l. N. Amer. B. p. 106 (1882) ; Nutting, Proc. U.S. Nat. 



Mus. V. p. 407 (1882 : Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica), \l p. 379- 



(1883 : Nicaragua) ; £aird, Brnver, ^^Ridgu: il^atei-B. N. Amer. 



i. p. 102 (1884) ; Cones, Key N. Ainer. B. 2ud ed. p. 651 (1884) ; 



Cory. List B. W. Ind. p. -26 (1885) ; Wells, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 



ix. p. 627 (1887 : Grenada) ; Scl. S,- Hudson. Argent. Orn. ii. 



p. 114 (1889) ; Underivood, Ibis, 1896, p. 450 (Costa Rica). 

 Mjstrorhamplius ajaja, Heine in Heine !<,■ JReichen. Nomencl. Mus. 



Hein. p. 313 (1890: Chili; Caracas; Jalapa). 



Adult male. General colour white, with a beautiful rosy tinge, 

 inclining to crimson on the bend of the wing ; the quills and tail 

 more distinctly rosy, with bright red shafts to the leathers ; the 

 head, neck, upper back, throat, fore-neck, and chest white, becoming 

 gradually beautiful rose-colour on the breast, abdomen, under wing- 

 coverts, and quill-lining : " bill yellowish grey at the base, mottled 

 with brownish black, in the rest of its extent pale greenish blue, 

 light on the margins ; base of margin of lower mandible greenish 

 yellow ; feet pale lake, claws brownish black ; iris bright carmine ; 

 head yellowish green ; space around the eye and gular sac orpiment- 

 orange ; a band of black from the lower mandible to the occiput " 

 {J. J. Audubon). Total length 25 inches, culmen 6-5, wing 13*8, 

 tail 3-7, tarsus 4-2. 



The above description is taken from an adult bird killed in July, 

 but still not in the fullest plumage. In the full breeding-plumage 

 bright crimson plumes are developed on the lesser wing-coverts, 

 upper tail-coverts, sides of flanks, and under tail-coverts, while the 

 tail becomes saffron-yellow. There are also a few crimson plumes 

 on the back of the neck, and a tuft of curly feathers on the fore- 

 neck. 



Adtdt female. Eesembles the male in colour, but is smaller. 

 Total length 21 inches, wing 13-3. 



Young. Whiter than the adults, with only a little rosy shade, the 

 shafts to the quills blackish, and the outer primaries dark brown at 

 the tips and on the outer webs. 



Hah. S.E. United States and Florida, occurring in suitable 

 localities through Central and South America as far south as the 

 Argentine Republic. 



a- b. S ad. ; c, d. Corpus Christi, Texas, June Salvin-Godman Coll^ 

 5ad.sk. to A.\x'g.{F.B. Armstrong). 



e. Juv. sk. Florida. J. E. Harting, Esq. 



[P.]. 



f. Ad. sk. Florida (Henshaiv Coll.). Salvin-Godman Coll. 



g. h. d 2 juv. sk. St. John's River, Florida Salvin-Godman Coll. 



(Henshaiv Coll.). 

 i, k. c?ad. etjuv. De Soto Countv, Florida, Salvin-Godman Coll. 



sk. 'NoY. {W. B. i)ean). 



I. c? ad. sk. Tarpon Springs, Florida, Salvin-Godman Collr 



June 15 (IT''. £. L. Scott). 



