Mr. R. Swinhoe on Amoy Ornithology. 235 



I learn satisfactorily that the species was founded by Mr. Blyth 

 through a want of acquaintance with the European bird, and 

 not on a really distinct form, I shall adhere to the name be- 

 stowed by him. From the bird figured in Mr. Gray's * Genera' 

 mine differs in having grey-mottled cheeks, in the tibire being 

 bare to a greater extent — but more especially in the form of the 

 bill, which in mine is broader in the stem, expands into more 

 direct alar angles, and terminates at the tip in a broad isosceles 

 triangle. The form of the stem is lost in the spatula ; and the 

 sides of the apical angle are very nearly straight, and not fes- 

 tooned, as in the sketch. Mitchell, too, shows the stem of the 

 bill quite distinct in the expanse. Mr. Blyth in his ' Cata- 

 logue ' mentions two specimens (procured at Amherst) in the 

 Museum at Calcutta, which one would expect to be our bird. 

 Dr. Jerdon's description gives the cheek of the Indian species 

 as snow-white. His bird has more white on the wing than 

 mine ; and he applies the term " somewhat obcordate " to the 

 expanded bill of his bird, which could scarcely be applied to that 

 of ours. The primaries of my bird have no white except on 

 their shafts and margins; the secondaries and tertials more 

 nearly correspond with Dr. Jerdon's description. The species 

 has probably a summer dress; in fact thei'e are streaks and 

 specks on the sides of the neck and breast which indicate this, 

 as well as some black feathers edged with yellowish-brown on 

 the back ; so we will not take other differences in detail of 

 plumage to prove the distinctness of the two species. The two 

 soft pointed dark central tail-feathers project about '2 in,, the 

 black tail-coverts extending to "33 in. of their ends. The 

 other ten rectrices are more rigid, nearly white, and of almost 

 even length, except the outermost on either side, which are 

 •1 in. longer. Tail 1-.5 inch.; wing 3*4 inches. Length 5-5 

 inches. Bill "8 in.; greatest expanse "42. Bare tibia '4 ; tarse 

 •85 ; middle toe and claw '75 ; lateral toes equal ; hind toe 

 minute. Bill and legs dark blackish-green^. 



* [Mr. Blyth (Ann. & Mag. N. H. 1844, xiii. pp. 178, 179) separated his 

 EurJiinorhynclms urientalis from the U. griseiis of Nilsson (founded on 

 the Platalea pygmced) on account of the discrepancy between the size 

 of the former and that of the latter as given by Shaw from older authors; 



