cicoNiD^. 733 



part of the neck ; a large white neck -ruff covering the sides of 

 the neck and breast ; plumage above glossy greenish black, all the 

 body feathers and the lesser wing-coverts faintly barred witli 

 several narrow bars ; scapulars, the uppermost tertiaries, and the 

 last of the greater coverts more brightly green, glossed and edged 

 with white ; plumage beneath white. 



Bill dirty yellowish ; bare top of head dirty green ; nude, 

 face, and neck much tinged with yellow, and at seasons with red ; 

 irides whitish ; legs dusky black. Length 4i feet ; wing 26 

 inches ; tail 10 to 11 ; bill 10 ; tarsus 9^ ; mid-toe 4^. 



This species of Adjutant is found in small numbers throughout 

 India, frequenting marshes, inundated paddy fields, and the edges 

 of lakes and rivers. It prefers a wooded country, and in the South 

 of India, I have only seen it on the Malabar Coast. It is rare in 

 Central India and the Upper Provinces, is now and then found in 

 Lower Bengal, and is more common in Assam, Sylhet, and Burmah, 

 extending thence through the Malayan Peninsula to some of the 

 islands. It feeds on fish, frogs, and more especially crabs, and also 

 on large locusts. Buchanan found it breeding in a large Mango 

 tope in the Purneah district ; the nests very small and rude. Its 

 Bengalee name of Modun-tiki is applied to it ironically, from its 

 ugly head and neck, the expression meaning that the hair of its 

 head is as beautiful as that of IModun, one of the sons of Krishna. 



L. crumenifera, Cuvier, {niurahoK, Vigors, argala, Temm.) occurs 

 throughout Africa. 



Gen. Mycteria, Linnasus. 



Char. — Bill very long, stout, solid, compressed, slightly ascend- 

 ing to the tip ; tarsus much elongated. • Of large size. 



The Jahirus, as they are sometimes called in works of Natural 

 History from an American species, are beautiful black and 

 white Storks, with lengthened, slightly upturned bills. Some 

 have the head and neck bare, others, among which is the Indian 

 species, have the head well clad. Bonaparte sub-divides them, 

 placing the Indian and Australian species under Xenorhynchus, in 

 which there is no frontal membranous shield, and the head and 

 neck are densely feathered. 



