734 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



917. Mycteria australis, Shaw. 



Blyth, Cat. 1628^Jerdon, Cat. 319— Hard wicke, 111. Ind. 

 Zool. pi. — Ardea indica, Latham — Banaras and Loharjung, H.— - 

 Ram-salik, Beng. 



The Black-necked Stork. 



Descr. — Head and neck rich dark glossy green, beautifully 

 glossed with purple on the Idnd-head and occiput ; middle and 

 greater- coverts, scapulars, and a portion of the interscapulars, 

 tertiaries, and tail glossy green ; the rest of the plumage pure 

 white. 



Bill deep black ; irides brown ; legs fine red. Length 52 to 

 56 inches; wing 23 to 24 ; tail 9 ; bill at front 11 to 13 ; tarsus 

 12 to 13 ; mid-toe 4-|. 



This gigantic-looking bird is found throughout India and 

 Malayana, extending to Australia ; it is rare in the South of the 

 Peninsula, more common in Central India and Lower Bengal. It 

 frequents the banks of rivers, lakes, small tanks, and j heels, 

 and feeds on various water animals, fishes, frogs, crabs, and 

 molluscs. It is a permanent resident, but I have not seen its 

 nest. It is said that a very good Bhyri will strike down this 

 large bird. 



The Australian species does not appear to differ, though Gould 

 states that the lower part of the back is glossy green. Schomburg 

 states of an American species, M. americana^ that it lives on the 

 animal of a species of Ampullaria. Notwithstanding, says he, 

 their unshapely beak, they are able to remove the operculum 

 most admirably, and to draw the animal out of its shell. This 

 I can the more readily give credit to, as it is the habit of another 

 cultirostral genus, Anastomus. It is said to build on trees, rarely 

 on rocks, and to lay two white eggs. This bird is classed by 

 Bonaparte as restricted Mycteria, having the bill very large, and 

 the head and neck naked. 



The African Jabiru is separated as Ephippiorhynchus, Bonap., 

 having the gonys of the lower mandible strongly ascending, a 

 triangular membranous frontal shield, and a fleshy lappet at the 

 angle of the mouth. 



