266 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



found generally in small flocks and sometimes singly. I have never taken 

 its eggs. In India it breeds on trees, laying four pale bluish- white eggs. 



Dr. Mason includes Ciconia alba in his list of the birds of Burmah ; but 

 I think there must be some error, for I have never heard of any one having 

 seen it in the Province. In case, however, that it should occur, I append 

 a short description of it*. 



Family TANTALID.E. 

 Subfamily ANASTOMATIN.E. 



Genus ANASTOMUS, Bonn. 



630. ANASTOMUS OSCITANS. 



THE SHELL-IBIS. 



Ardea oscitans, Bodd. Tall, PL Enl. p. 55. Anastomus oscitans, Jerd. B. Ind. 

 ii. p. 765 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 630 ; BL B. Burm. p. 158 ; Hume, S. F. 

 iii. p. 192 ; Bingham, S. F. iv. p. 212 ; Cripps, S. F. vii. p. 310 ; Hume, S. F. 

 viii. p. 114 ; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 1103 ; Gates, S. F. x. p. 244. 



Description. The nestling is a light grey, a little darker on the head 

 and neck, where the feathers are short and the webs hair-like ; the upper 

 back, winglet, primaries, secondaries, tertials, scapulars and tail are black, 

 shot with green and purple reflections ; the naked skin about the chin and 

 base of the beak and the orbits are greenish black j the bill dark green ; 

 the legs brown, tinged with pinky red (but generally covered by a whitish 

 scurf of dirt and droppings) and the irides brown. As the bird grows 

 older, the grey assumes a lighter colour, the black of the back disappears, 

 and the irides get a darker brown. In May, through an actual change of 

 colour in the feathers themselves, the grey becomes pure white; and this is 

 the breeding-plumage, which lasts till the beginning of September, when 

 the bird moults and again assumes the grey phase of plumage. (Bingham.) 



* CICONIA ALBA. 



THE WHITE STORK. 



Description. The whole plumage white, except the scapulars, quills and greater wing- 

 coverts. 



Length about 42 inches, tail 10, wing 24, tarsus 8, bill at front 7 -5. 



