Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant on the Genus Platalea. 41 



attained their second season. The combination of black ends 

 to the primaries with a considerable crest, described as cha- 

 racters of these specimens, is equally found in P. leucorodia 

 (Nos. 1 and 4) from South Spain. Finally, I cannot find 

 any distinguishino- character in the width of the rim of the 

 upper mandible between the nasal groove and the edge, a 

 character put forward both by Prof. Sundevall and Mr. Stej- 

 neger ; for the width appears to vary nearly in proportion to 

 the length of the culmen, which being greater, as already 

 stated, in P. major, naturally has a broader rim. Never- 

 theless, taken as a whole, specimens of P. major may gene- 

 rally be distinguished from the European bird by the length of 

 the " neck •" of the spatule and, as a rule, especially in imma- 

 ture l)irds, by the smaller area of naked skin on the throat, 

 always, of course, comparing birds of a nearly similar age. 



Through the kindness of Dr. Biittikofer I have received a 

 life-sized water-colour drawing of the head of the type of 

 P. major in the Leyden Museum, from which the accom- 

 panying woodcut (p. 39) has been taken. By glancing at this 

 and comparing it with that of P. minor, shown beneath it, it 

 is more easy to understand why Prof. Schlegel, after receiving, 

 a nearly adult specimen of the latter species, obtained by 

 Mr. Swinhoe at Swatow, which in size was almost inter- 

 mediate between the type specimens, united them under 

 one name, and characterized them as very like P. leucorodia, 

 but with the lower ])art of the throat feathered and the beak 

 brownish. 



Char. — Adult $ . Exactly similar to P. leucorodia, but 

 rather larger, and having the culmen, as a rule, longer, 

 from 8-3-9-7. 



Adult ? . Similar; smaller. 



Imm. c? (Sf ? . Throat-patch extending over a somewhat 

 smaller area than in P. leucorodia of the same age, and 

 either rounded off (usually) or W- shaped posteriorly. 



The following table gives a complete list of all the speci- 

 mens examined, with measurements and other details. For 

 particulars of those in the Leyden Museum I have to thank 

 Dr. Biittikofer. 



