LEPTOPTILOS JAVANICA. flora! Ciconia calva, Jerdon. 1 C. cristata, M'Clell.
C. capillata, Tonal. Argila crinita, B. Ham.
C. nudifrons, APC1d1. A. immigratoria, Hodg.
Chandana, . . . BENG. Chinjara, . . . . HIND.
Chandiari, . . . „ Bang-gor of . PURNIAH.
Madanchur, . . • 71 Nutha-cootee-narai, TAM.
MOdUtaiki, . . . „ Dodal-konga, . . TEL.
Small adjutant, . ENO. Dodal-gatti-gadu, . , Hair-crested stork, „ The Tamil name of the small grey and black stork, Leptoptilos Javanica, is Nutha-cootee-narai, literally shell-fish (Ampullaria) picking crane. They have nests two feet in diameter, and contain three eggs or young. The eggs are of a dirty white colour, of the same shape, but not quite so large, as those of the turkey. The young when fully feathered are in prime condition. Their flesh is eaten by Muhammadans and Pariahs. ' The bird keeps entirely to marshy fields, edges of tanks, etc.; it never approaches towns. Some half a dozen or more of these birds may often be seen in the morning sunning themselves with outstretched wings in the dry fields. They only differ from the adjutant, or Leptoptilos argala, in size acid colour. These nest early, and the young are firm on the wing in the month of February. They are found throughout Asia, feed on fish, frogs, crabs, and locusts. A pair of these birds were pur chased by a detachment of the 74th Highlanders, who in June 1877 were stationed at Penang. The birds stood about three feet in height. They were never kept in confinement, and from the very first were allowed to roam over a large open expanse of ground. They never seemed inclined to stray far, and very seldom ever attempted to fly. They would spend more than half the day
standing motionless opposite each other, bill to bill, and with both their wings outspread. They were coarse feeders, and neither quality nor quantity seemed to trouble them much ; one of them on an occasion gulped down one by one as fast as they could be thrown to it, 32 small fishes, each about six inches in length, and evidently was ready for more. After they had been with the regiment about a month, one of them began to look downcast. One morning it remained basking in the sun for several hours, with outspread wings. Later in the day it lay down on the grass, with its eyed closed, and evidently very sick, and by it stood its brother, apparently quite unconcerned. Like this they remained until late in the afternoon, when the healthy bird was seen to put his head on one side, and, looking curiously at his sick comrade, proceeded to stir him up with his beak, without making him move ; and on going to look, he was found to be dead. A post-mortem ex amination was immediately held, and in the poor bird's stomach were found the legs and claws of a large fowl, quite undigested, which were the apparent cause of the intense inflammation. While the investigation was going on, the surviving bird evidently regarded it with much interest, and as great lumps of muscle were stripped off his com rade's bones he gobbled them up. Having thus got a good meal, he at length stalked demurely away, satisfied with his afternoon's performance.