624 Mr. J). A. Banncrman on the 



glossed. I consider the figure given by Du Bus is a very 

 fair representation of the bird. It is, however^ a small 

 specimen, the wing measuring 290 ram. and the bill only 

 89 mm. The sex of this specimen was not ascertained. 



In 'The Ibis/ 1903, pp. 178-188, Count Salvadori has 

 written a clear account of what he considers to be the correct 

 status of Ibis olivacea of Du Bus. He is of opinion that 

 Ibis olivacea Du Bus and Lampribis vara of Rothschild, 

 Ilartert^ and Kleinscbraidt, are synonymous, and in fact that 

 the latter species is founded on the young of the former. 

 I have formed an exactly opposite opinion, and I should 

 like to state ray reason for disagreeing with this conclusion. 

 Count Salvadori attaches ranch importance to the fact that 

 Cassin (Pr. Ac. Philad. 1857, p. 39, 1859, p. 174) identified 

 specimens sent to him from the Rivers Muni and Camma 

 as the young of Ibis olivacea, and he adds in his description, 

 '' A young bird, but evidently of this species ....(/. olivacea). 

 General colours as figured by Baron Du Bus, but with the 

 feathers of the neck and breast having large central spots 

 of dark fulvous, with which also a few of the feathers of the 

 crest are striped longitudinally" ; and again, in 1859, Cassin 

 wrote, " Several specimens from the Camma and formerly 

 from the Moonda. The adult of this species is described 

 and figured very accurately by the Baron Du Bus. 

 Young (^ . General colours as in the adult, but paler. 

 Under parts of the body with large oval spots of dull 

 yellowish.'^ 



Count Salvadori remarks that ''as Cassin was able from 

 his specimens to judge of the great accuracy of Du Bus's 

 description and figure, we may assume that his identification 

 was correct." 



It appears to me that the " spotted " specimens sent to 

 Cassin were undoubtedly examples of Lampi'ibis rara — 

 whether adult or immature is quite immaterial, as both 

 the young and adult of L. rara have spotted breasts^ — and 

 that Cassin wrongly identified his birds as /. olivacea. The 

 possibility of 7. olivacea assuming a spotted plumage in the 

 lointer occurred to me^ but this is evidently not the case, as in 



