MYCTERIA. 155 



Adult male. Entire back, scapulars, long innermost secondaries 

 pure white like the nnder wing-coverts, axillaries, breast, abdomen, 

 and under tail-coverts ; bastaid-wing, primary-coverts, and quills 

 black ; tail greenish-black tinged with purjde. "Head and upper 

 l)art of neck bare and of a livid bluish colour, tinged Avith 

 yellowish on the forehead ; bill yellowish ; legs blue, becoming 

 blackish on the toes, and tinged with yellow on the webs/' 



Total length 940 mm., culmen 230, wing 475, tail 160, tarsus 

 210. 



Ihe description is taken from an example obtained on the 

 Great Savannas in December 1902. 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male. 



Immature. Differs from the adult in having- the head and neck 

 feathered. Middle of crown and nape black where the feathers 

 have white hair-like tips; sides of the crown, throat, and upper 

 neck all round pale brown with dark shaft-streaks. 



The immature bird was obtained on the Ituribisi River. 



Breeding-season. Unknown in British Guiana. 



I^est. Unrecorded in British Guiana. 



J^ggs. Undescribed in British Guiana. 



Range in British Guiana. Ituribisi River, Rupununi Savannas 

 [McConnell collection^ ; Abary River {Beehe) ; Ru[)ununi River 

 i^Brown) ; Whiroon, Abary River (QuelcJt). 



Bxtralimilal Range. Greater pordon of South America to 

 Argentina. Central and North America. 



JIahits. Schomburgk remarks (Reis. Guian. iii. p. 756) that he 

 found this bird on all the swamps and sand-banks of the Savanna 

 rivers, in lai'gc numbers, and associating with M3'cteria (=^Jahiru 

 mycteria, p. 158) and Storks. Its habits are like those of the 

 latter. Ho did not find the nest. 



Mr. J. J. Quelch (Timehri (2) ii. p. 370) writes :—" Nigger- 

 heads were seen standing in a swampy p;irt of the creek about 

 150 yards ahead. A few birds raised their heads as we came in 

 sight, but the rest remained in a dignified pose with their necks 

 thrown ]>ack and their long l)lack bills turned slightly down- 

 wards. The * Nigger-heads ' as they are tei'ined, are smaller than 

 the 'Nigroco])S,' they are of a y)revailing white or cream colour, 

 with rich bluish Ijronze-grcon cpiills in their wings and tail ; (he 

 head an<] the upper part of the ntsck are bare of feathers in the 

 adult, and arc coverrd with loosi^ thin scales on a black ground ; 

 the bill and feet are l)lack, and the former is tiiick, long, and 



