1875.] THE PHILIPPINE AECHIPELAGO. 403 



and 



La Spatule huppee de Visle de Lnr^on, Sonn. torn. cit. p. 90, pi. 52. 



PJatalea cristata. Scop. torn. cit. p 92, no 76, ex Sonn. 



Platalea leucorodia, var. y, Gm. I. c, ex Sonn. 



Plataleatenuirostris, Temm. Man. d'Orn., 2ncl edit. p. ciii (1820)f, ex Sonn. pis. 51, 52 ; Tr. Z. S. ix. 

 Handboek der Eur. Vog. (Dutch tr.) p. cxxxiv (1824), ex Sonn. 



Platalea luzoniensis, Bp. Consp. J ii. p. 148, no. 6 (1857), ex Sonn. pis. 51, 52 ; v. Martens, 

 J. f. O. 18G6, p. 27, no. 149. 



The first is evidently the young of the second species ; and if the Philippine habitat assigned 

 to them by Sonnei'at is incorrect, the types were in all probability obtained by him either at 

 Madagascar, at the Mauritius (PL telfairi. Vigors, P. Z. S. 1830-31, p. 41), or in Southern Africa 

 {PL chlororJiyncha, Drapiez, Diet. CI. d'Hist. Nat. xv. p. 531, 1829 ; PL nudifrons, Cuv. Mus. 

 Paris.; Pucher. Eev. et Mag. Zool. 1851, p. 376, — titles founded on individuals generally 

 admitted to belong to one and the same species). Sonnerat's description of his two species is 

 very meagre ; but the bill of the first is described as reddish brown, and the feet as being yellow 

 inclining to red. The bill of the second (the adult, crested bird) is stated to be of a ruddy grey 

 {gris roux), the edges being red, and the legs of a light but dull red (rouge claire et terne). These 

 characters being only found in PL chlororhijncha, and as no species of Spoonbill has, since 

 Sonnerat wrote, been recorded as inhabiting the Philippines or, indeed, any of the islands of the 

 Malay archipelago, we may with much certainty adopt Professor Schlegel's decided opinion that 

 Sonnerat described from individuals belonging to the African species (of. Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, 

 Cicom'ida', PL chlororhyncha, p. 22). 



Buffbn (Hist. Nat. vii. p. 456) considered Sonnerat's two birds to represent one species not 

 differing from PL leucorodia. But if it be conceded that Sonnerat described from either Mauritius, 

 Madagascar, or African individuals, Scopoli's specific title alba must be adopted for the red-legged 

 Spoonbill. This title Prince Bonaparte (torn. cit. p. 147) referred to PL leucorodia, quoting 

 Annus I. Hist. Nat. page 115. No such title occurs at page 115 ; but under number 115 Scopoli 

 enumerates PL leucorodia, Linn., and, as its chief character, uses the word alba. In the synonymy 

 o{ PL leucorodia by Finsch and Hartlaub (Vog. Ost-Afrikas, p. 715) this reference of Bonaparte's 

 has been accepted without examinatioii and the number misquoted. The same error reappears in 

 Heuglin (Orn. Nordost-Afrikas, p. 1122). 



t Not 1816, as quoted by Bonaparte, torn. cit. p. 148, no. 5, a misprint copied by Dr. 0. Finsch, Vog. Ost-Afrikas, 

 p. 718, and by von Heuglin, Orn. Nordost-Afrikas, p. 1126, who adds "premiere edition." 

 J A title established by the Prince, although attributed by him to Scopoli. 



