THE LESSER ADJUTANT. 263 



countries, the Malay peninsula, Siam, Qochin China, Sumatra, Java and 

 Borneo. 



This immense Stork is very abundant during the cold weather, visiting 

 the plains of Pegu in large flocks, and a few apparently remaining all the 

 year through. It is found in paddy-fields, grass-plains and swamps any- 

 where, in fact, where its food (frogs, reptiles and fish) is abundant. It is 

 met with in the streets of the large Indian towns, being there semi- 

 domesticated. I found it breeding in the forests west of Shwaygheen and 

 north of Paghein in November, constructing a large nest of sticks in very 

 lofty wood-oil trees and laying three whitish eggs. It breeds in company 

 with Pelicans, and the eggs of both are very similar in size and colour ; 

 but the interior skin of the Adjutant's eggs is dark green, of the Pelican's 

 white ; and therefore the eggs can be safely separated at a glance. 



627, LEPTOPTILUS JAVANICUS. 

 THE LESSER ADJUTANT. 



Ciconia javanica, Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 188. Leptoptilus javanicus, 

 Jerd. B. 2nd. ii. p. 732 ; Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 358 ; Bl B. Burm. p. 159 ; Hume, 

 S. F. iii. p. 189 ; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 449 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. 

 p. 469; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 1113; Bingham, S. F. vii. p. 25; Oates, S.F. 

 vii. p. 51; Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 72; Hume, S.F. viii. p. 114, ix, p. 235; 

 Parker, S. F. ix. p. 483 ; Oates, S. F. x. p. 242 ; Kelham, Ibis, 1882, p. 190. 



Description. Male and female. The head and neck covered with a few 

 soft decomposed feathers, which are closer together on the nape and hinder 

 neck ; crown of the head bony, smooth and perfectly bare ; neck-run and 

 whole lower plumage white ; the whole upper plumage, wings and tail 

 dark brown, with a slightly greenish gloss in places and the smaller 

 feathers more or less edged paler. 



The fully-fledged nestling has the head naked to about half an inch 

 behind the eye ; the throat and neck are sparsely covered with light brown 

 down; the nape and hind neck are thickly covered with long dark- brown 

 feathers ; the under tail-coverts are much developed and decomposed ; 

 these, with the whole remaining plumage, are white, except the wings, tail 

 and scapulars, which are blackish with a metallic gloss. 



Bill dirty yellowish ; bare top of head dirty green ; nude face and neck 

 much tinged with yellow and at seasons with red; irides whitish; legs 

 dusky black. (Jerdon.) 



Length about 54 inches, tail 10, wing 25, tarsus 9, bill from gape 10'5. 

 The female is probably smaller. 



