-370 CICONIIDJE. 



Wend. S. F. vii, p. 90 ; Hume, Cat. no. 918 ; Scully, S. F. viii, 

 p. 359 ; Biddulph, Ibis, 1881, p. 98 ; Scully, ibid. p. 591 ; Butler, 

 S. F. ix, p. 433 ; Davidson, S. F. x, p. 323 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. 

 p. 376. 

 Melanopelargus nigra, Hume, S. F. i, p. 252 j Ball, S. F. ii, p. 433 ; 



v, p. 420; \ii, p.230. 

 Surmai, H. 



Coloration. Deep blackish brown, glossed with purple, green, 

 and bronze ; sides of head glossed bronze ; fore neck bronzy green, 

 followed by a purple gorget ; uppe breast glossed green ; lower 

 breast, abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts white. 



Beak, naked skin round the eye, and legs red, with an orange 

 tinge ; irides reddish brown (Dresser). 



Length 40; tail 10 ; wing 21 ; tarsus 8 : bill from gape 8. 



Distribution. The greater part of Europe, Africa, and Asia. This 

 Stork breeds in temperate Europe and Asia and migrates south- 

 ward in winter. Large numbers visit the Punjab and Northern 

 Sind at that season, and smaller numbers occur throughout 

 Northern India, Assam, and the Deccan, but the species has not 

 been observed in Southern India, Ceylon, or Burma. 



Habits, <$fc. In India Black Storks usually occur in flocks, which 

 are frequently of large size. This bird much resembles the White 

 Stork in habits, but does not breed about human dwellings. 



Genus DISSURA, Hume, 1879. 



This is distinguished from Ciconia by having the forehead and 

 the sides of the head to behind the eyes nude, and the upper tail- 

 coverts stiff and bifurcating, the exterior coverts longest, nearly 

 reaching the tip of the tail. A single species. 



1548. Dissura episcopus. The White-necked Stork. 



Ardea episcopus, Bodd. Tabl. PL Enl. p. 54 (1783). 



Ardea leucocephala, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i, p. 642 (1788). 



Ciconia leucocephala, Blyth, Cat. p. 277 ; Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 737 ; 



Godw.-Aust. J. A. S. B. xliii, pt. 2, p. 175 ; Butler fy Hume, S. F. 



iv, p. 22. 

 Melanopelargus episcopus, Hume Sf Henders. Lah. to Yark. p. 294 ; 



Hume, N. $ E. p. 609; Adam, S. F. i, p. 398; Ball, S. F. ii, 



p. 433 : Hume fy Gates, S. F. iii, p. 189 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi, 



p. 469 ; Davidson $ Wend. S. F. vii, p. 90. 

 Ciconia episcopus, Blyth 8f Wold. Birds Burm. p. 158 ; Fairbarik, 



S. F. iv, p. 263 ; Wardl. Rams. Ibis, 1877, p. 470. 

 Dissura episcopus, Ball, S. F. vii, p. 230 ; Cripps, ibid. p. 307 ; Hume, 



Cat. no. 920 ; Scully, S. F. viii, p. 359 ; Butler, ibid. p. 387 ; Legge, 



Birds Ceyl. p. 1119 ; Vidal, S. F. ix, p. 88 ; Butler, ibid. p. 433 ; 



T?nisJ ,V T? -v r\ 1 'A. 7}//juV7m thirl r .^9^ J^miisnn ihid, rv 41 7 



Oates, 



Barnes, 



p. 142 ; Hume fy Crippl, S. F. xi, p. 331 ; Beddard, P. Z. S. 1896, 



p. 231 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxvi, p. 294. 



