BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 495 



A patch of long narrow lanceolate feathers on the upper 

 breast is of a pale yellowish or buffy brown. 



The legs and feet appear to have been yellow or orange. 



In all the birds in breeding plumage the legs in the dried 

 shins are a dull dirty yellow, and Juman, the native taxidermist, 

 says that in life they were pinkish yellow. In the young birds 

 with the greater portion of the plumage grey ; the legs in the 

 dried skins are nearly black, and were said by Juman to be blue 

 in life. 



1004.— Pelicanus philippensis, Gm< (53). 



Thatone ; Khyketo. 



I adhere for the present to this name ; my own impression is 

 that this bird is still without a name, but of all existing ones 

 this philippensis is the only one that can apply. 



Gmelin is the first authority who gave Latin names to this 

 group. Linnaeus named onocrotalus, but that was all, and of 

 Brisson's specific names we are debarred by the Code from taking 

 cognizance. • 



Gmelin's names stand in the following order : — 



roseus, (ex Manilla.) 

 manilliensis (ex Manilla.) 

 philippensis (ex Philippines.) 

 rufescens (ex Africa.) 



Now we may reject the latter name at once. The Abyssinian 

 Pelicans are not the same species; the character of the plumage 

 of head and neck is different, so is the coloring of the soft 

 parts ; the upper mandible is less compressed towards the base, 

 and wants the double row of impressed spots, present in the case 

 of every one of more than 100 Indian and Burmese birds, 

 old and young, in winter and in summer plumage, and most con- 

 spicuous in the oldest birds in fullest breeding plumage. 



Then we must reject roseus ; " anseris 7nagnitudine" will not 

 apply, "not any how you fix it/' Nor are the bill and feet black, 

 in any adults, fresh or dry. It is in my opinion not open to any 

 one in fixing a name of Gmelin s or any one else, to ignore the 

 author's own definition and turn to his references and say 

 (l though he says so and so, he meant the other thing, for see 

 what the authorities he quotes say \" 



This will not do — so far as his own definition goes, we must 

 abide by it — we may consult his references to throw light on de- 

 tails which he has not recorded, but so far as his record goes, ifc 

 must agree "with the bird to which we desire to attach the name, 

 or failing this if it is distinctly at variance on a material point, 

 we cannot apply the name. 



