ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLK'IIN 



.87 



INDI.\N AL'li 



THE INDIAN ADILTANT. 



THIS ^rc'iit stork derives its common iKime '' from 

 its comical resemblance to a human figure in 

 a stiff dress, [xicing slowly on a parade ground." 



Two lusty individuals have recently been added 

 to the collection, and by their size and remarkable 

 appearance attract a good deal of attention. Their 

 thick-set bodies, roofed over with the great folded 

 wings, might well become a vulture; but beneath, 

 there protrudes a pair of long legs, while an ab- 

 surdly emaciated neck rises from a ruff above 

 the wings. This bare, yellowish neck terminates in 

 a rather ill-shaped head, pink and whitish, which in 

 turn merges into an enormous beak. 



The head and neck are almost bare, save for a 

 si)rinklinji of curly chestnut feathers, which have 

 lost all resemblance to ordinary jjlumage, and 

 cluster ill wavy ringlets like fine hair. At the 

 front of the neck is a small protuberance, the be- 



ginning of the long pouch, which will develop 

 later on. Pale glassy eyes look out upon the 

 wiiriil with a stony gaze. Such is an Indian Ad- 

 jutant. 



Like a \ulture or wood ibis, the Adjutant is seen 

 to the best advantage when on the wing, and also 

 like the former bird, it is a valuable scavenger in its 

 native country, India. Its services are thoroughly 

 api)rcciatc(l. and everywhere it is accorded the pro- 

 tection it dcser\cs, llxing familiarly into the very 

 streets of the native villages, where it devours all 

 refuse tlesh. It also feeds upon frogs and fish. 



Hidden away beneath its tail are many feathers, 

 perhaps the softe.st and most beautiful in the 

 world, — the much-valued '' Marabou plumes," so 

 called.- a strange source for such delicate feathers. 



C. W. B. 



aquarium J'iotro 



BY making e.xchanges of specimens with the afiuarium at 

 the St. Louis E.vposition, the New York .\quarium has 

 secured a number of interesting 6shes and turtles from the 

 Mississippi River. There are several species in the collec- 

 tion, which hitherto have not been seen in New York, alive. 

 It is to be regretted that the paddle-fishcs secured did not 

 long survive the journey. This species is specially inter- 

 esting on account of the remarkable paddle-like extension 

 of the upper jaw, which sometimes reaches a length of 16 

 inches. It is a delicate species, and has never lived long in 

 capti\-ity, even under the best circumstances, .\mong the 

 species in this collection, new to the .\quariuni, may be 

 mentioned the short-nosed gar, the quillback and buffalo- 

 fish, the last being one of the important food fishes of the 

 Mississippi basin, and often attaining a large size. Some of 

 the other species received were the long-nosed gar, spotted 

 catfish, yellow- catfish, fresh-water drum, white bass, sauger 



