BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 485 



942.— Graptocephalus davisoni, Hume. (5.) Descr. 

 S. R, III., 300. Ibis harmondi, Oust. Bull. Soc. 

 Phil. Paris, 1877, 28. 



Nalansine ; Pakchan. 



An occasional visitant to the southernmost portions of the 

 province from Siam. 



[In May and June 1875, this bird was not uncommon about 

 the open ground at Ualansine, and its neighbourhood. I visited 

 the same locality in the same months in this year (1877), but 

 not a single bird was to be seen anywhere about. Mr. Hough, 

 however, obtained specimens about the same place in January, 

 so it is probably only an occasional visitant to our territory 

 from Siam. I found the birds excessively shy, and almost 

 unapproachable. In the mornings and evenings they fed about 

 the paddy flats or open marshy ground, but when disturbed 

 and during the day betook themselves to some of the numer- 

 ous huge dead trees standing about the clearings, where, seated 

 on the topmost branches, they amused themselves making a most 

 hideous row, emitting a most weird and unearthly scream. This 

 they uttered at short intervals, not only when thus seated, but at 

 times when they were flying. "When much disturbed, they com- 

 menced sailing in circles., gradually rising higher and higher until 

 they gained an immense height ; they would then remain up by 

 the hour together. They were always in pairs. — W. D.] 



Full measurements of two adult males were given, S. F., III., 

 300 ; the following are the dimensions of three females : — 



Length, 29'5 to 30'0 ; expanse, 48*0 to 54*0 ; tail from vent, 

 6-75 to 8-0 ; wing, 1475 to 14-87 ; tarsus, 3'25 to 3'45 ; bill 

 from gape, 6'0 ; weight, 31t»s. 



Legs and feet pale coral or dull pinky red ; bill slaty blue ; 

 irides yellowish brown ; ring round neck white, tinged with 

 pale blue. 



A young specimen shot by Mr. A. L. Hough, on the 6th of 

 May near Nalansine on the Pakchan, had the plumage similar 

 to that of the adult, but duller, and had a tuft of dark brown 

 feathers on the occiput. It measured : — 



Length, 26 - 5 ; expanse, 51*0; tail from vent, 6'75 ; wing, 

 14*0 ; tarsus, 312; bill from gape, 4-05 ; weight, 2'75 Ids. 



Irides pale grey brown ; bill slaty blue, tinged plumbeous at 

 base ; head dull black with no warts ; ring round neck dirty 

 white ; legs and feet dirty white ; scutee dull black. 



In his recent extremely valuable review of the Ibidm®, 

 (P. Z. S., 1877, 477) Mr. Elliot has made this species the type 

 of anew genus which (though much inclined to knock all his 19 

 genera into one) I have adopted, viz.y— 



