278 



IBIDIN^. 



the notch ; tertials white; also black-shafted ; the upper series slaty grey, 

 with their webs lax and disunited. In the breeding plumage the bird 

 is entirely white; bill greenish black; nude orbitar and gular skin 

 blackish ; irides grey or pale brown ; legs blackish. 



Length, — 29 — 30 inches, extent 50, wings 15 — 16 inches, tail 7, bill 

 at front 6*5 to 8, tarsus 5*25 to 5'5. 



Hah. — Sind, Beloochistan, Persia, Punjab, N. W. Provinces, Oudh, 

 Bengal, Guzerat and the Deccan; abundant in Bengal and Central 

 India, chiefly found in the vicinity of rivers, lakes and marshes ; resident 

 in Sind. Breeds from July to September in company with Threskiornis 

 'tnelanocephalus. 



Sub-Family, IBIDIN^. 



Bill more slender, long and curved, as in Anastomatince. 



Threskiornis, Gray. — Bill nearly square at base, curved ; upper 

 mandible with a lateral groove extending to the tip j nostrils situated 

 at its base ; tail short ; hind toe half as long as the mid-toe ; head 

 and neck nude ; scapulars and tertials lengthened and decomposed ; 

 feathers of the breast elongated ; plumage white. 



Threskiornis melanocephalus, Lath. ; Jard. and Selhy, Ind. 



Orn. pi.; Tern. PL Col. 48} ; Jerd. B. Ind. iii. p. 769; Murray, 

 Hdhk., ZooL, ^-c, Sind, p. 229. — The White Ibis. 



Head and neck nude ; lower neck, back, wings and their coverts, 

 primaries, secondaries, entire under surface from the breast and also the 

 tail, white ; scapulars and tertials lengthened, their outer webs dis- 

 united, and of a greyish colour. In another stage of plumage the quills 

 are black with green reflections ; bill and legs black ; irides blood red. 



Length. — 29 — 30 inches, wing 14, tail 5'75, bill at front 6, tarsus 4- 



Hah. — Sind, Mekran Coast, Persia, Eajputana, Kutch, Guzerat, 

 Concan, Deccan, and nearly throughout India. A resident in Sind ; 

 breeds from July to September. Eggs 4 — 6, white or dingy white, with 

 a slight bluish tinge when fresh, size 2*5 X 1*75. 



Gen. Geronticus. 



Bill more slender and longer than in Ihidinoe ; plumage black. 



GerontiCUS papilloSUS, Tem. PI. Col. 304 ; Jerd. B. Ind. iii. 

 p. 769; Murray, Hdhk., Zool., 8fc., Sind, p. 229.— The Wabty- 

 HEADED Ibis. 



Head, nape, chin and throat nude, black; crown with a triangular 

 patch of bright red papillee, extending in front in line with the 

 eyes, and behind to the back of the head ; neck and entire under- 

 surface fuscous brown, unglossed ; back, scapulars and tertials the 

 same, but glossed with purplish; upper tail-coverts dark brown, slightly 

 glossed with steel blue ; under tail-coverts glossed with bluish ; wings 

 glossy steel blue, mixed with purple ; a large patch of white on the 



