AUSTRALIAN GLOSSY IBIS. 
12th edition, Linne included this bird under the name Tantalus falcinellus 
(p. 241), the habitat given being “ Austria, Italia.” 
In the Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum no subspecies are 
recognised, while its range is almost world-wide. 
At various times forms have been separated, but owing to the variation 
expressed in the plumage changes these have just been as regularly suppressed. 
In the Hand-List of British Birds, by Hartert, Jourdain, Ticehurst, and 
Witherby, 1912, p. 122, the range is given “ east to Central Asia and India 
. . . Northern birds are migratory, wintering in . . . tropical Asia, and 
casually even Australia.” It, however, is not a very uncommon visitor to 
Australia, and, moreover, often, if not regularly, breeds in that country. 
I am using for these Australian birds the name given by Bonaparte (ex 
Muller MS.) to a Celebes bird. 
European birds in full plumage have the top of the head glossy green ; 
in another state, which cannot be exactly determined owing to the lack of 
extensive series of specimens, the head loses the deep glossy green and a dull 
purple is observed. 
All the Australian specimens yet examined, including Celebes skins, have 
the head deep purple without any green gloss, otherwise in perfect breeding- 
plumage. The back of the head, hind-neck, and upper-back are also of a 
deeper colour, while less of the purple is seen in the back-coloration. Longer 
series need to be studied before the subspecies of this bird can be accurately 
determined ; but the one fact known is, that all Australian birds differ from 
European specimens, and for this reason I use Bonaparte’s name. 
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