1869.] MR. D.G. ELLIOT ON THE GENUS rELECANUS. 585 
upon the flanks, and also covering the vent and entire under tail- 
coverts. The measurements are :—wing 24 inches; tail 8 inches ; bill, 
along culmen, 133 inches; tarsus 3? inches ; middle toe 4 inches. 
A third specimen, still youuger, has the head and neck covered 
with a whitish down, a few short feathers standing out from the occi- 
put. The feathers of the body rounded, none of the lanceolate 
shape (so conspicuous a feature in the adult) yet present. Upper 
parts and wings light brown, each feather with a broad margin of 
white; secondaries dark brown in the centre, fading out gradually 
to a brownish grey on the edges; primaries brownish black. Back 
and upper tail-coverts pure white, with none of the roseate tinge so 
prevalent in the more matured individuals. Tail silvery white ; shafts 
of the feathers of the tertials, secondaries, primaries, and tail black, 
white at their bases. Bill clear yellow; the upper mandible with 
two rows of impressed black spots; bare skin around the eye 
yellow. (Entire under parts pure white; the feathers soft and 
downy.) The colours present in life having all disappeared. Wing, 
from carpal joint, 22 inches; tail 8 inches; bill, along culmen, 
123 inches ; tarsus 3? inches; middle toe 4 inches. 
Hab. Nubia, Abyssinia, Senegal, Madagascar, India, Cochin- 
china, Malacca, Philippines, Java, &e. 
The synonymy of this species appears to be in a ‘sad state of con- 
fusion, arising chiefly from the doubts existing as to whether this 
bird and P. philippensis are distinct—a circumstance which may 
indeed be very seriously questioned, as the differences that are 
claimed as sufficient to separate them are very slight, and may only 
be the result of age. Latham, in his ‘Synopsis,’ is the first to 
describe this species, which is sufficiently well done to leave no 
doubt of the bird meant by him; besides, the name which he con- 
ferred upon it, that of the Red-bucked Pelican, indicates the adult 
of this species, and no other, as it is the only one of this genus 
which has the rose-colour restricted to these particular portions of 
the body. Gmelin, three years afterwards, in his ‘Systema Na- 
turee,’ confers upon Latham’s bird the name of rufescens, which, 
by the laws of priority, is the one it now possesses. The Pelecanus 
eristatus of Lesson appears to be a bird of this species. The long 
lanceolate feathers of the crest and back delicately tinted with yel- 
lowish, together with the square shape of the frontal feathers, would 
seem to point out the present bird. The pure white of the plu- 
mage (‘plumage blanc pur”) cannot be taken as referring to the 
entire bird, as, further on, the description says, ‘“‘ plumes du cou et 
du dos minces, effilées, /égérement soufrées,’ which is observed 
also in specimens of rufescens. The absence of all mention of the 
rose-colour on the back arises probably from the fact of Lesson’s 
specimen not being in the dress of the fully matured bird, which we 
may suppose alone possesses this beautiful hue. The Pelecanus 
pheospilus of Wagler is probably the present species, although he 
gives no description to enable the bird he has in view to be definitely 
ascertained. He gives Senegal as the locality of his species, which 
is one of the habitats of P. rufescens. 
