490 MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE IBIDIN-E. [June 5, 



neck, is bare. Body large, heavy. Wings reaching to near the end 

 of the tail. Bill curved ; nostrils basal, placed in a groove. Middle 

 toe three fourths the length of tarsus ; outer toe longer than inner. 



Head and upper part of neck bare, crossed on the back of neck by 

 numerous black bars. Lower part of neck covered with short dark 

 greenish feathers edged with grey. Back dark brown glossed with 

 green. Scapulars dark brown, webs disunited. Secondaries, tertials, 

 and greater wing-coverts silvery grey, blackish brown along the 

 shaft of the feathers, and tipped with the same. Primaries brownish 

 black. Underparts dark greyish brown in the central portion of 

 breast, dark green on the flanks. Tail and under tail-coverts dark 

 green. Bill dull red. Feet and legs Indian red. 



Total length 42 inches; wing 21^ inches, tail 11, bill along 

 culmen 9g, tarsus 4^, middle toe 3|, the nail ^, hind toe 1|. 



5. Graptocephaltjs davisoni. 



Geronticus davisoni, Hume, Str. Feath.vol. iii. (1875) p. 300. 



Ibis davisoni. Oust. Bull. Soc. Philomat. Paris, /""' ser. tom. i. 

 p. 28(1877). 



Hah. Pakchan estuary, Tennasserim Provinces (Davison) ; 

 Ajudhja, Siam {Bocourt) ; Sombor, Camboja {Ilarmond). 



This fine and very distinct species was first described by Mr. Hume 

 {I. c.) from two specimens obtained by his collector, Mr. Davison, on 

 the banks of the Pakchan estuary, in the extreme south of the Tenas- 

 serim Provinces. Specimens are in the Museum of Paris, brought at 

 dififerent times by MM. Bocourt and Harmond from Siam and Cam- 

 boja. As stated by Mr. Hume, in coloration of plumage this species 

 is almost exactly like the Ibis papillosn, Temminck, with which it 

 has been confounded, although the wings and tail of the Siamese 

 examples are a deeper blue than is seen in specimens of I. papillosa. 

 The chief differences between the species are the entire absence of 

 papillae or warts upon the back of the head, the anterior portion 

 alone being covered with small brown warts, and the peculiar 

 coloration of the bare skin of the head and neck. This in the G. 

 davisoni is black on the top and sides of the head ; and (as indicated 

 in the skin, which, when moistened, exhibited the colours) between 

 this and the feathers of the neck is a broad band of rose-colour, which 

 extends upwards onto the back of the head in a triangular shape, the 

 point reaching to the level of the top of the head, where it is strongly 

 tinged with blue. The black of the throat is concave-shaped at 

 bottom, and curves upwards and inwards on the side of the neck, to 

 and above the ears, and then is divided on the back of the head by 

 the red colour mounting upward. Mr. Hume says that in his speci- 

 mens this part of the throat is encircled by a broad white band, 

 which becomes blue upon the occiput, and makes no mention of any 

 red or rose-colour ; nor does he state whether he was furnished by 

 Mr. Davison with the colour of this naked part, as he describes it, or 

 observed it on the skin of the prepared specimens. I do not suppose 

 that there are two species; for one specimen in the Museum has an 

 indication of a white ring on the neck ; but 1 should be inclined to 



I 



