USTHABITINa THE PHILIPPINE ARCHIPELAGO. 241 



Platalea tenuirostris, Temm. Man. d'Orn., 2nd edit. p. ciii (1820)', ex Sonn. pis. 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. pis. 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 {PL telfairi. Vigors, P. Z. S. 1830-31, p. 41), 

 or in Southern Africa {PI. chlororhyncha, Drapiez, Diet. CI. d'Hist. Nat. xv. p. 531, 1829 ; 

 PI. 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 PI. 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 {cf. 

 Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Ciconidce, PI. chlororhyncha, p. 22). 



Buflbn (Hist. Nat. vii. p. 456) considered Sonnerat's two birds to represent one 

 species not difiering from PI. leiicorodia. 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 {torn. cit. 

 p. 147) referred to PI. leucorodia, quoting Annus I. Hist. Nat. page 115. No such title 

 occurs at page 115 ; but under number 115 Scopoli enumerates PI. leucorodia, Linn., 

 and, as its chief character, uses the word alba. In the synonymy of PI. leucorodia 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). 



' Kot 1816, as quoted by Bonaparte, torn. cit. p. 148, no. 5, a misprint copied by Dr. 0. Finsch, Tog. Ost- 

 Afrikas, p. 718, and by von Heuglin, Orn. Nordost-Afrikas, p. 1126, who adds " premiere edition."' 

 ' A title established by the Prince, although attributed by him to Scopoli. 



