642 Catalogue of Birds in the Dukhun. [Dec. 



specimens in the British Museum and India House. Length, inclusive of tail, 

 15§ inches : tail 2j inches. Irides bright yellow. 

 Rare in Dukhun. Mostly solitary ; never gregarious. Remarkably wary. 

 Genus Botaurus, Briss. Bittern. 



179. Botaurus stcllaris, Briss., Orn. 5. 444. Ardea stellaris, Linn., 1. 239. 21. Le 

 Butor, Buff., Ois. 7. 411. PI. Enl. 789. Common Bittern. 



Identical with the European bird. 

 Rare in Dukhun. 



Genus Nycticorax, Steph. 



180. Nycticorax Europaus, Steph., 11. 609. Ardea Nycticorax, Linn., I. 235.9. 

 Le Bihoreau, Buff., Ois. 7. 435. PL Enl. 758. Night Heron. 



Irides broad, crimson. Length, inclusive of tail, 24 inches : tail 4.2 inches. 

 Length of the European bird about 22 inches. Irides and legs of the same colour 

 as those of the Asiatic bird. 



Genus Phcenicopterus, Linn. Flamingo. 



181. Phoznicopterus ruber, Linn., 1. 230. Le Flammant, Buff. Ois. 8. 475. PI. Enl. 

 63. Red Flamingo. Rajah Huns of the Hindoos. 



Irides light yellow. Length, inclusive of tail, 43j inches : tail 6 inches. 



In the duodenum of a female were found two thick, remarkably white worms com- 

 posed of annuli; one 7 inches long, the other 4§ inches ; and filling up the in- 

 testinal canal, so that liquid food only could have passed ; nevertheless the bird 

 appeared quite healthy. 



Genus Platalea, Linn. Spoonbill. 



182. Platalea leucorodia, Linn., 1. 231. 1. La Spatule, Buff., Ois. 7. 448. PI. Enl. 

 405. Crested white Spoonbill. 



Irides crimson. Length, inclusive of tail, 35j inches : tail 5§ inches. 

 Although a little larger in size, it is otherwise absolutely identical with the Euro- 

 pean bird, even to the colour of the irides and legs. 



183. Platalea junior. The feathers with black shafts. 



Mr. Stephens describes these birds as rarely occurring inland. Col. S.'s speci- 

 mens were obtained 100 miles from the sea, and at an elevation of 2000 feet. 

 Genus Ciconia, Ray. Stork. 



184. Ciconia leucocephala. Ardea leucocephala, Gmel., 1. 642. Lath., Ind. Orn. 

 2. 699. 78. Le Heron Violet, Buff., Ois. 7. 370. Heron de la cote de Coro- 

 mandel, Buff., PI. Enl. 906. Violet Heron. Kandehsur or Kowruw of the 

 Mahrattas. 



It is singular that this well-marked bird should have been classed as a Heron for 

 a long period, and remain as such at the present moment in Shaw. Length, 

 inclusive of tail, 33 to 34§ inches : tail 8 inches. 



Mostly seen on open stony plains, or in ploughed fields. Food chiefly grasshop- 

 pers. Monogamous. Irides scarlet, margined with a narrow circle of black 

 and an exterior circle of yellowish. 



185. Ciconia Argala, Steph., vol. 11. p. 622. Ardea dubia, Gmel., 1. 624. Ardea 

 Argala, Lath. 



Is met with in Dukhun ; but Col. Sykes has not a specimen. Called the Adjutant 

 by Europeans, from its stiff soldier-like strut. 



Genus Anastomus, 111. Courly. 



186. Anastomus Typus, Temm. An. Coromandelianus, Steph., 11. 632. Ardea 

 Coromandelica (l'adulte) et Ponticeriana (le jeune), Temm. Le bee ouvert 

 des Indes, Sonn. Voy. 2. pi. in p. 219. Buff., Ois. 7.409. PI. Enl. 932. 

 Cinereous Muscle-catcher. 



Irides bright yellow. Length, inclusive of tail, 32 to 33 inches: tail 6| to 6| 

 inches. 



Buffon's figure is excellent. Lives on the animals of a new and large species of 

 Unio. The stomach of this bird is not less remarkable than its bill : the last 

 exhibiting a beautiful adaptation of means to their end ; the form of the mandibles 

 enabling the bird to hold and open the bivalve shell of the Unio. Solitary. 



The proportional length of the intestinal canal exceeds that of any other bird in 

 the order Grallatores, in one specimen being five times the length of the body, 

 neck and bill inclusive. 



Genus Tantalus, Linn. 



187. Tantalus leucocephalus, Lath., Ind. Orn. 2. 706. Le Tantale de Ceylon, Cuv., 

 RSgne Anim. 1.481. White-headed Ibis. 



Irides yellow. Length, inclusive of tail, 40§ to 43 inches : tail 6$ inches. 



A large diaphanous spot on each side of the base of the upper mandible before the 



eyes does not appear to have been noticed in the description of the bird. 

 The generic characters, if this bird be made the type, require modification. The 



stomachs of three birds were distended with fibrous vegetable matters in a commi- 



