INHABITING THE PHILIPPINE ARCHIPELAGO. 241 
Platalea tenuirostris, Temm. Man. d’Orn., 2nd edit. p. citi (1820)!, ex Sonn. pls. 51, 
52; Handboek der Eur. Vog. (Dutch tr.) p. cxxxiv (1824), ex Sonn. 
Platalea luzoniensis, Bp. Consp.’ ii. p. 148, no. 6 (1857), ex Sonn. pls. 51, 52; v. 
Martens, J. f. O. 1866, p. 27, no. 149. 
The first is evidently the young of the second species; and if the Philippine habitat 
assigned to them by Sonnerat is incorrect, the types were in all probability obtained by 
him either at Madagascar, at the Mauritius (PJ. telfairi, Vigors, P. Z.S. 1830-31, p. 41), 
or in Southern Africa (PJ. chlororhyncha, Drapiez, Dict. Cl. d’Hist. Nat. xv. p. 531, 1829; 
Pl. nudifrons, Cuv. Mus. Paris.; Pucher. Rev. et Mag. Zool. 1851, p- 376,—titles founded 
on individuals generally admitted to belong to one and the same species). Sonnerat’s 
description of his two species is very meagre; but the bill of the first is described as 
reddish brown, and the feet as being yellow inclining to red. The bill of the second 
(the adult, crested bird) is stated to be of a ruddy grey (gris roux), the edges being red, 
and the legs of a light but dull red (rouge claire et terne). These characters being 
only found in Pl. chlororhyncha, and as no species of Spoonbill has, since Sonnerat 
wrote, been recorded as inhabiting the Philippines or, indeed, any of the islands of the 
Malay archipelago, we may with much certainty adopt Professor Schlegel’s decided 
opinion that Sonnerat described from individuals belonging to the African species (ef. 
Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Ciconide, Pl. chlororhyncha, p. 22). 
Buffon (Hist. Nat. vii. p. 456) considered Sonnerat’s two birds to represent one 
species not differing from P/. leucorodia. But if it be conceded that Sonnerat described 
from either Mauritius, Madagascar, or African individuals, Scopoli’s specific title alba 
must be adopted for the red-legged Spoonbill. This title Prince Bonaparte (tom. cit. 
p- 147) referred to Pl. leuwcorodia, quoting Annus I. Hist. Nat. page 115. No such title 
occurs at page 115; but under number 115 Scopoli enumerates Pl. leucorodia, Linn., 
and, as its chief character, uses the word alia. In the synonymy of Pl. lewcorodia by 
Finsch and Hartlaub (Vog. Ost-Afrikas, p. 715) this reference of Bonaparte’s has been 
accepted without examination and the number misquoted. The same error reappears 
in Heuglin (Orn. Nordost-Afrikas, p. 1122). 
* Not 1816, as quoted by Bonaparte, tom. cit. p. 148, no. 5, a misprint copied by Dr. O. Finsch, Vog. Ost- 
Afrikas, p. 718, and by von Heuglin, Orn. Nordost-Afrikas, p. 1126, who adds “ premiére édition.” 
* A title established by the Prince, although attributed by him to Scopoli. 
