158 MANUAL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS. 



"Adult. Above black, with varying glossy reflections, either bronzy 

 purple or green ; upper mantle deep maroon-chestnut, as also lesser wing- 

 coverts and scapulars, the latter having bronzy tips; median and greater 

 coverts duller and more oily green with bronze or steel-green reflections; 

 alula, primary-coverts, and quills entirely glossy green, secondaries with 

 purplish reflections; lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail all 

 black, with various reflections of purple and oily or bronzy green; head 

 and neck all round, as well as under surface of body deep maroon-chest- 

 nut, somewhat lighter on the chest and breast; forehead and fore part of 

 crown glossy green, as also base of cheeks and a slight shade below eye; 

 under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts, and axillars black, with metallic 

 reflections of green and purp'le, the quill-lining being similarly glossed. 

 'Bill and feet dark brownish olive, iris brown/ (Ouillemard.) Length, 

 558; culmen, 132; wing, 284; tail, 99; tarsus, 107. 



"Female. Similar to the male in plumage, but smaller in size and 

 with a somewhat smaller bill. 



"The winter plumage would appear to be adopted after the bird has 

 left for its winter quarters, as a male killed in Celebes on August 20 is 

 still in full red plumage. The winter plumage of the adults appears 

 to consist in the entire loss of the chestnut plumage of the head, back, 

 and scapulars; the rest of the plumage remains metallic with the same 

 varying shades of green and purple, but the wings are rather more bronzy 

 and the wing-coverts brighter metallic green. The head and neck are 

 entirely streaked with black and whitish, and in the spring the red 

 feathers of the summer plumage are gained by a molt. 



"Young birds are similar to the winter plumage of the adult, but are 

 more of a metallic oil-green, without the beautiful shades which dis- 

 tinguish the adults at all seasons. The head is dusky brown, with a 

 certain amount of white striping on the head and throat, but not so much 

 as in the adult winter plumage." (Sharpe.) 



Although the only authentic record of the occurrence of the glossy 

 ibis in the Philippine Islands is that made by Mearns, there is every 

 reason to look for it in Luzon and other of the larger islands. 



Family PLATALEID.E. 



Members of this family greatly resemble herons but differ in having 

 the bill flattened and spatulate, the tip blunt and rounded; from each 

 of the nostrils there is a groove which extends parallel to the edge of the 

 mandible and meets the opposite groove at tip of bill. 



Genus PLATALEA Linnaeus, 1766. 

 Character same as those given for the Family. 



