Desiderata for European Collections. 605 



India are no less abundant than beautiful, and yet they 

 are very rare in menageries in England. 



22. The several kinds of Green Pigeons, and that remark- 

 able bird Geophilus nicobaricus, or Nicobar Pigeon, would be 

 very easily procured. The former are common in all parts 

 of India, and the latter on the Tenasserim Coast, from whence 

 several are often brought to Calcutta, where they do well 

 for a time in cages. 



There are other fine examples of this family in India, as 

 the Vinago aromatica, with a cinnamon coloured back, green 

 body, and short wing feathers fringed with yellow ; and the 

 Vinago oxyura, a green pigeon with a long sharp tail ; both 

 these last are common throughout India, and may be pro- 

 cured without any difficulty. 



23. Of Waterfowl, perhaps the Adjutant alone is the only 

 one that has hitherto been sent home, it is therefore almost 

 unnecessary to enumerate those which it would be most de- 

 sirable to forward. The Bengal Ibis,* and the Anastomus 

 Coromandelicus, which last, notwithstanding its name is a 

 constant and common resident in our swamps, and which 

 may be known by the interval between the mandibles of its 

 bill, would be two desirable birds in menageries at home, 

 as well as the Jabiru, or large black and white wader, with 

 black recurved bill, and scarlet legs. When taken young 

 they become perfectly tame like the Sairus, which is another 

 crane required in collections in England. It is scarcely ne- 

 cessary to mention the black-headed stork with white neck, 

 and blackish wings, so common in Bengal and Assam, the 

 white spoonbill, and the white heron, whose scapular fea- 

 thers are divided in long narrow filaments or egrets, which 

 are eagerly collected as ornaments ; these birds are seldom 



* Our collector has just procured from the neighbourhood of Cal- 

 cutta a beautiful specimen of the Ceylon Ibis, Tantalus leucomelanus, 

 which we were not aware was an inhabitant of Bengal. 



