. 

 648 



Breeds in inaccessible places in parts of Bengal and Burmah, constructing 

 a large nest of sticks, and laying 23 whitish eggs, not unlike those of the 

 Vultures ; huge broad ovals, in size from 2-87 to 3-3 in length, and from 2-1 to 

 2-55 in breadth. 



1337. LeptOptilUS JavanicUS (Horsf.\ Jerd., B. Ind. Hi. 

 p. 732; Sahad., Ucc. Born, p. 358 ; Blyth, B. Burm p. 159 ; Legge, B. 

 Ceylon p, 113; Sharpe, Ibis, 1819, p. 72; Oates, Sir. F. x. p. 242; id., 

 B. Br. Burm. ii. p. 263. Ciconia javanica, Horsf., Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii- 

 p. 1 88. The LESSER ADJUTANT. 



Head and neck covered with a few soft decomposed feathers ; crown of 

 head bony and perfectly bare ; ruff and lower plumage white ; upper plumage, 

 wings and tail dark brown with a slightly greenish gloss, Bill dirty yellowish; 

 top of head dirty green ; nude parts and neck tinged with yellow, seasonally 

 red ; irides whitish ; legs dusky black. 



Length. 52 to 55 inches; tail 10; wing 25 ; tarsus 9 ; bill from gape io'5 

 Eab. Over nearly the whole of India in small numbers, frequenting marshes, 

 paddy fields and edges of lakes and rivers. Common in Southern India and 

 the Malabar Coast; rare in Central India and the Upper Provinces. Occurs in 

 Bengal, Assam, Sylhet, and Burmah, extending from the latter down the 

 Malay Peninsula. Habits same as the last. 



Gen. Xenorhynchus. Bp. 



Bill very large, stout and solid, the tip turned up ; 2nd and 3rd quills 

 longest. 



1338. Xenorhynchus asiaticus, Lath., Ind. Om. ii. p. 670; 



Murray ', Vert. Zool. Sind, p. 266 ; Oates, B. Br. Burm. ii. p. 364. Ardea 

 Indica, Lath., Ind. Orn. ii. p. 701. Mycteria australis, Shaw, Trans. Linn. 

 Soc. v. p. 34; Jerd. B. Ind. iii. p. 734. Mycteria indica, Hume, Nests and 

 Eggs Ind. B. p. 607; id., Str. F. iii. p. 189. Xenorhynchus australis, Blyth 

 and Wald., B. Burm. p. 158; Legge, B. Ceylon, p. 1117 ; Oates, Str. F. 

 x. p. 242. The BLACK-NECKED STORK. 



Head and neck rich dark glossy green, glossed on the hind head with 

 purple; lesser, median and greater coverts and scapulars, also the interscapu- 

 larsand tail dark brown, mixed with rich bluish green with a golden tinge ; 

 rest of plumage white ; bill black ; legs reddish. 



Length. 52 to 56 inches ; wing 24 ; tail 9 ; bill at front 12*5 inches. 



Hab. Sind, Punjab, N.-W. Provinces, Oudh, Bengal, Rajputana, Kutch, 

 Guzerat, Concan, Deccan and the greater part of India, extending to Malayana ; 

 also Burmah and Ceylon. In Central and North India it is, as in Sind, 

 extremely common along the banks of rivers and on the edges of tanks and 

 marshes. 



