1877.] MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE IBIDIN^. 489 



character sufficient to establish a species. In the Pondicherry 

 example the desiccated plumes adorning the back are of a pale pearly 

 white, indeed almost white, agreeing with Swinhoe's bird, which 

 shows that this species varies in the colour of these plumes among 

 individuals. I have never seen these feathers of the rich dark hue 

 exhibited by 1. cethiopica. Swinhoe speaks of Jerdon's description 

 of I. melanocephala as showing that bird to have " black quills." 

 It is true that Jerdon speaks of the " quills black with green reflec- 

 tions;" but this is evidently an error that he inadvertently made, 

 because, lower down the page, he compares the present species with 

 the /. cethiopica (as I. religiosd), and states they differ in the colour 

 of their quills, the present species having the "apical portion hardly 

 blackish, whilst in /. relic/iosa they are greenish-black." He might 

 have said that the I. melanocephala when fully adult had the quills 

 pure white. 



Blyth states that occasionally the bare neck of this species is 

 coloured behind like that of I. strictipennis (I. cethiopica), as 

 figured by Gould in the ' Birds of Australia ;' and also, contrary to 

 what is stated by Mr. Gould, this species differs from /. cethiopica 

 and resembles the Australian /. strictipennis in having the long 

 pectoral plumes when in breeding-dress. The naked portion of the 

 neck is considerably less extended than in I. cBthiopica. 



Head and neck denuded of feathers, skin black, occasionally with 

 reddish bars across the back of neck. Scapulars and tertials with 

 open lengthened barbs, rather thin in substance, and falling over the 

 wing ; the colour of these varies in individuals from a pearly white to 

 almost a black shade. Rest of plumage and wings pure white. In 

 the breeding-season the lower feathers of neck in front are much 

 lengthened. Bill black ; feet black. Total length about 29 inches ; 

 win.';s 14 inches ; tail 5 inches; bill along culmen 6f to 7^ inches; 

 tarsi s 4 inches. 



imng. — The head and neck covered with short feathers, at first 

 dar'. brown, then white ; and the lengthened scapulars are absent. 



/4. Thaumatibis gigantea. 



Ibis gigantea, Oustalet, Bull. Soc. Philomat. (1877) ser. 7, torn. i. 



25. 



Hab. Cochin China, 



This fine species was sent to the Paris Museum by M. Harmond 

 //rom Cochin China. There was only one skin, and that of a bird 

 not in adult plumage. It is remarkable for its great size, approach- 

 ing to that of the species of Tantalus. In fact it is a bird with the 

 body of a Tantalus and the bill, legs, and feet of an Ibis. It is 

 difficult to tell by the present specimen what would be the colours 

 of the adult plumage ; but the wing would apparently be for the 

 greater part a silvery grey. It forms a seeminglink between the genera 

 Tantalus and Ibis ; and as it obviously cannot be placed in any 

 existing genus, I propose for it the term Thaumatibis, with the fol- 

 lowing characters : — 



Head large, skull almost square on top, which, together with the 



