1120 DISSUEA EPISCOPA. 



Head and nape black, glossed with metallic green, the feathers not extending beyond the anterior corner of the eye ; 

 upper and middle portion of the neck with the throat white, the feathers somewhat decomposed and soft; lower 

 portion of neck and elongated plumes in front overlying the chest brilliant metallic amethystine, illumined with 

 green when viewed against the light, the concealed parts of the feathers blackish green ; back, upper tail-coverts, 

 scapulars, and wings black, glossed with green and purple reflections ; the feathers along the ulna of the same 



tarsus 7*0; middle toe 3 - 5 ; bill to gape 7'8. — Adult ("Europe": Brit. Mas.). Wing 21'5 inches, bill at front 



6*1. There appears to be considerable variation in the length of tarsus. 

 Iris deep brown ; bill red, dusky at the extreme tip ; legs and feet pinky red, claws black ; orbital skin blackish. 

 Plumage white, except the primaries, secondaries, primary-coverts, winglet, tertials, and longer scapulars, which are 



black ; the primary-coverts white at the base ; shafts of the primaries white at the base ; plumes at the lower 



part of the front of the neck elongated. 



Tawng. Bill yellowish orange, dusky in parts ; gular pouch dusky in front, orange at the gape ; orbital skin dusky ; 

 iris greenish brown ; legs and feet pale yellowish, becoming orange in parts ; claws yellowish horny (Scull//). A 

 young bird bred in June measured on the 24th July — wing 19-S inches, tarsus S-15 ; weight 6 lb. 0-5 oz. Plumage 

 similar to the adult. 



Distribution. — Until very recently the Stork has never been noticed in Ceylon ; and up to the present time, so far as 

 I am aware, no specimens have actually been procured in the island. I have, however, received undoubted evidence of 

 its occurrence in the south-east of the island, where Mr. Bligh met with it near Yala at the beginning of last year ; and 

 1 accordingly include the species in the avifauna of Ceylon. At the same time I follow the rule adopted through the 

 work, and include my notice of this bird as a footnote only. The circumstances under which Mr. Bligh met with the 

 Stork are so peculiar that I append his account verbatim : — " I wish I could do justice,'" he writes, " to a scene we witnessed 

 on returning from Udapottena, which we left at daybreak. The sun was just rising as we neared the ford across a salt 

 lagoon : on the right was a scattered herd of spotted deer scampering off to their prickly coverts. Suddenly rounding a 

 clump of bushes near the ford, and which had hid it from our view, we were astonished to meet within a few yards of 

 us a huge grey Pelican, looking so comical, lazily flapping his big wings, with his head tucked in, while he was being 

 most determinedly attacked by a beautiful White Stork (Ciconia alba), which was striking him on the centre of the back 

 with its beak. The Stork was a lovely-pluraaged mature bird; its brilliant red beak and legs showed to advantage in 

 the rising sun, and with its black-and-white plumage so clearly defined it looked quite a showy bird compared with the 

 Pelican. What caused the quarrel it is impossible to conjecture ; it might be that the Pelican had been poachino- on the 

 Stork's favourite fisbiug-grouuds, and the latter had got alarmed on seeing the intruder's mode of scooping up the fish by 

 the score into its capacious pouch!" Subsequently to the receipt of this account, Mr. Parker informs me that he met 

 with several Storks at the tank of Nikaweratiya, which appeared to be breeding there in company with Egrets, Herons, 

 &c. ; but I am doubtful as to the correctness of their identification, as the Stork does not breed anywhere in India ; and 

 it is possible that the Pelican-Ibis may have been mistaken for the present species, which can only be a migrant in its 

 non-breeding season to the island. 



In India the Stork is a common cold-weather visitant, being tolerably frequent in the Deccan, distributed throughout 

 the region between there and Calcutta, near which place it occurs occasionally, as also in Furreedpore, further east; but 

 beyond the confines of Bengal it does not extend. In the north-west of the empire it is scattered moderately throughout 

 ilie various provinces in the cold weather, and was met with by Mr. Hume in tolerable numbers on the Indus. Dr. Scully 

 found it common in the plains of Kashgharia from April to August, breeding there, and the young remaining until October, 

 further east it is replaced by a larger species (C. boyeiana), very similar, but differing in the colour of its bill, which is 

 lirowu with a reddish base, and in the shape of the nude orbital skin. It is found in Persia and Palestine, passing north- 

 ward in April through the latter country in such vast flocks that the entire country (rocky hills, oliveyards, sandy plains, 

 and even the dunghills in villages) is covered with them ; they remain, moving north a few miles a day, till they have 

 cleared off all the snakes, lizards, frogs, or fish, and they then disappear. 



In Southern Africa it winters in abundance, being found in Cape Colony and in Damara Land, and is said by Layard, 

 on reliable evidence, to breed in the former region. It is found on the west coast, and in the northern parts of the con- 

 tinent is very abundant, especially on passage northwards to Europe, in many countries of which it breeds. It nests in 

 the Sahara, in Morocco, and Algeria; and Von Heuglin considers that it may do so in limited numbers in North-eastern 



