OICONIlDa; 



DISSUEA 



36 



length by the under tail-coverts, which are white and stiffened so 

 as to resemble the true reetrices ; legs rather short, the tarsus not 

 twice the length of the middle toe and claw and covered throughout 

 with hexagonal scales. 



Fig. 9. — Tail o£ Dissura microscells . x 



from above to show the 



black reotrices and the elongated white under tail coverts. 



This genus is spread all over the Ethiopian and Indian regions 

 as far as Cochin China and Celebes. Two species are recognised 

 by Reichenow, who distinguishes the Indian from the African bird. 



677. Dissura microscelis. Woolly-necked Stork. 



Ciconia microscelis, Gray, Oen. Bds. iii, p. 561, pi. 151 (1848). 

 Ciconia leucooephala (nee Gmel.) Gurneij. Ibis, 1859, p. 248 [Natal] ; 



Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 315 (1867). 

 Ciconia episcopus («ec Bodd.) Sharpe, ed. Layard' s B. S. Afr. p. 731 



(1884) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 159 (1896) ; Shortridge, Ibis, 1904, 



p. 206. 

 Dissoura episcopus, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxvi, p. 294 (1898). 

 Dissoura microscelis, Beichenow, Vbg. Afr. i, p. 347 (1901) ; Finsoh, 



Orn. Monatsb. 1904, p. 95. 



Description. — Forehead and crown black, the latter streaked with 

 white, a narrow white band on the forehead ; hinder parts of the 

 head and neck clothed with white woolly down ; sides of the head 

 and chin less thickly covered with white down and spotted with 

 black ; lower neck, rest of the upper surface and breast black with 

 reddish and greenish coppery metallic reflections ; tail-feathers like 



