Malayan Ornithology. 191 



the look-out for frogs, fish, or pieces of offal that might 

 come drifting down the stream. My dog frequently used to 

 rush and bark at them, when they put themselves into the 

 most absurd attitudes, if very closely assailed bending for- 

 wards with their wings upraised, necks extended, and enor- 

 mous bills wide open, presenting a most grotesque appearance. 



The detachment of my regiment stationed at Penang 

 bought a pair of these Adjutants from a Malay, and kept 

 them on the race-course just outside the Mess. The fol- 

 lowing account of tlie birds, their manners and customs, 

 is given me by an officer of the detachment, who watched 

 them daily : — 



" In June 1877, when at Penang, S. S., B purchased, 



for the sura of three or four dollars, two Adjutant birds of a 

 black and white colour ; head and bill of a yellowish colour, 

 as was also the neck ; their bills were nearly a foot in length ; 

 they possessed but very few feathers on the head and neck — 

 in fact, only a few sprouting hairs ; their backs and wings 

 were of a greenish black, and their breasts of a dirty white 

 colour. The birds stood about three feet in height. 



" They were never kept in confinement, and from the very 

 first were allowed to roam over a large open expanse of 

 ground, but never seemed inclined to stray far, and very 

 seldom even attempted to fly ; and when they did it was rather 

 a failure, and consisted of a succession of bounds for about 

 fifty yards, after which they appeared to be quite exhausted. 



''They were veiy curious birds to watch, and always gave 

 one the idea that the surroundings had but little attraction 

 for them, as they would spend more than half the day stand- 

 ing motionless opposite each other, bill to bill, and with both 

 wings outspi'cad, forming a most ludicrous picture ; some- 

 times they would stand like this for an hour or more; but 

 occasionally one of them raised and stretched out one of its 

 legs as if it were stiff; otherwise they would scarcely move a 

 muscle. I do not remember ever hearing either of them utter 

 a sound, though we often listened. 



" They were very coarse feeders, and did not consider much 

 before they fed, either as regards quality or quantity. On 



