492 MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE IBIDIN^. [JunC 5, 



fig. 1009, 1010; Bon. Consp. Gen. Av. (1857) vol. iii. p. 152; 

 Gould, Handb. B. Austr. (1865) vol. ii. p. 282. 



Ibis strictipennis, Straw-throated Ibis, d'Albertis (quoted by 

 Sclater), Ibis (1876) p. 361. 



Hab. Australia. Neve Guinea. 



This bird is peculiar among the members of this family in posses- 

 sing the curious straw-coloured spines at the base of the neck in 

 front, as though they were the stiffened shafts of feathers denuded 

 of their webs and massed together. Both sexes apparently are thus 

 adorned, though the spines are more slender and shorter in the 

 female. This species is accustomed to congregate in immense flocks, 

 and is seemingly distributed all over Australia; and, under the name 

 of Ibis strictipennis, M. d'Albertis states that he saw it flying over 

 him in New Guinea, of which country it is not at all unhkely to be 

 an inhabitant. 



Head, throat, and upper part of neck in front bare, skin black. 

 Feathers of neck short, downy, and end in a point at base of occiput. 

 Sides of neck white, back of neck black, this colour gradually 

 lessening in width as it proceeds towards the occiput. Front of 

 neck and breast covered with short stiff straw-coloured spines, which 

 fall over the breast in front. Back and upper part of breast bright 

 bronze-green with rich purple reflections. Secondaries dark purplish 

 brown, with bright purple bronze spots along the edge of outer webs. 

 Shoulders metallic green, succeeded by a patch of metallic blue, the 

 feathers crossed by narrow bars of velvet black. Greater wing- 

 coverts, and outer webs of tertials, purple bronze. Tail and entire 

 underparts pure white. Bill black. Thighs crimson, graduating 

 into blackish brown on the tarsi. 



Immature birds have not the spines at all, or only just commencing 

 to show, and the green on the breast is divided by the white of 

 the lower parts, which is extended up to the neck. 



Total length 32 inches ; wing 14j, tail 6|, bill along culmen 

 6|, tarsus 3^ inches. 



7. Inocotis papillosus. 



Ibis papulosa, Temm. PI. Col. no. 304 ; Less. Trait. Orn. 

 (1831) p. 568. sp. 12; Sykes, Proc. Zool. See. (1832) p. 162. sp. 

 190; Burgess, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1857) p. 74 ; Schleg. Mus. Pays-B. 

 (1863) livr. 4, p. 11. 



Ibis papillata, Wagl. Syst. Av. (1827) sp. 10; id. Isis (1829) 

 p. 761. 



Inocotis papulosa, Reich. Nov. Syst. Av. (1851) pi. 140. fig. 533 ; 

 Bon. Consp. Gen. Av. (1857) vol. iii. p. 133. 



Geronticus jjapillata, Wagl. Isis (1832) p. 1232. 



Geronticus jjapillosvs, Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. Asiat. Soc. (1849) 

 p. 275. no. 1621 ; Gray, Gen. B. (1849) vol. iii. p. 567 ; Jerd. B. 

 Ind. (1864) vol. iii. p. 769 ; Beavan, Ibis (1868) p. 400; Grav, 

 Hand!. B. (1871) pt. iii. p. 39. 



Ilab. India generally {^Blyth). 



Lieut. Burgess states that in the Deccan this species is much more 



