IN CAPTIVITY IN LOWER BENGAL. 287 



Eab.— Europe, Asia, and Africa ; scarce in Lower Bengal ; some- 

 what common in Upper India during trie winter. 



Length of life in captivity. 



Spoonbills at one time did not thrive in this garden ; latterly a 

 specimen became reconciled to captivity ; it completely cast off its old 

 dirty feathers, and looked lively and gay in its new plumage.* 



(245) THE PELICAN IBIS. 

 (TANTALUS LEUCOCEPHALUS-_Fo^.) 

 Hindi — JanghaL Bengali — Bam Jhankar or Sona Jang ha. 

 During the latter end of the rains it loses much of the rosy red 

 tint of its tertiaries, reassuming it again in the spring ; the young birds 

 are generally of a brownish grey colour. 

 Eab. — India, Burmah, and Ceylon. 



Length of life in captivity. 

 Specimens living since 1883. 



(246) THE SHELL IBIS. 



(ANASTOMUS OSOITANS— (Borfrf.) ) 

 Hindi — Gungla, Ghongal Bengali — Shamukbhanga. 

 Hab.— Particularly abundant in Northern Bengal. 



Length of life in captivity. 



This species has not unfortunately done well in this garden, none 

 having survived more than a few months. 



(247) THE BLACK-HEADED IBIS. 

 (IBIS MELANOCEPHALUS— Linn.) 



Description. — Head and neck nude, and black; the rest of the 

 plumage white ; the bare skin of the wing-bone beneath pinkish red, 

 which is visible when the bird is on the wing ; bill long, slender, curved' 

 and channelled. 



Eab. — It is met with over the greater part of India and Ceylon, 

 the Indo-Burmese countries, Southern China, Siam, Cochin China, 

 the Malay peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. — Oates. For this 

 garden specimens have chiefly been obtained from Dinagepore in 

 Northern Bengal, and Arracan. 



Length of life in captivity. 

 Specimens have been living upwards of ten years. 



* After having lived over two years it met with an accidental death. 



