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TANTALUS LEUCOCEPHALUS.
Rosy Tantalus.

Tantalus leucocephalus, Gmel. Edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 649.—Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 7
Indic., p. 20, pl. 10.—Penn. Ind. Zool., p. 47.—Temm. Man. One ae ae
Vieill. Ency. Méth., Oinis part ii. p. 1151, pl. 56. fig.
of Zool. Soc., part ii, p. 160.—Blyth, Cat. of Birds in
ot Lit. and Sci., vol. xii, p. 202.—Kelaart, Prod. Faun. Zeyl., p. 133.—Gray, List of Spec. of
Birds in Coll. Brit. Mus., part ili. p. 90.—Bonap. Tab. Syn. des Hérons, in Camneriaa de Ata
des Sci., Avril 2, 1855, tom. xl.—Burgess in Proc. Zool. Soc., part xxiii, p. 72.—Layard in Ann iad

| Mag. Nat. Hist., 2nd ser. vol. xiv. p. 115.—Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., tom. ii. p. 150.—Shaw Ga

Zool., vol. xii. part i. p. 2.—Tytler in Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 2nd ser. vol. iii. p. 374. ;

—_.—. Gangeticus, Shaw, Nat. Mise., pl. 293.

White-headed Ibis, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. v. p. 116.—Id. Supp. p. 240.—Penn. Ind. Zool. 4to, pl. xi.—Id. Hind., vol
pe 2125 vol.it. p. 158.—Id. Outl., vol. iv. p. 128.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ix. p- 160.

Tantalus Indicus, Cuvier, Regn. Anim., tom. i. p. 481 (Blyth).

Dokh of the Hindoos.

Jaunghal in Hindustan (Jerdon).

Kdt Sdrunga of the Hindoos (Blyth).

Lamyang and Lumduck of the Scindees.

Datudua, Cing., lit. Sickle-bill (Layard).

Changa vella nary, Mal. Nary is the general Tamul name for all Storks (Layard).

st. Zool.
2nd edit. tom. i. p. ciii.—Bonn, et
1.—Sykes in Proc. of Comm. of Sci. and Corr.
Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 275.—Jerd. Madras

 

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4 Tur subject of the present memoir—the Great Indian Tantalus—stands out so conspicuously among: the
Grallatores, or Wading Birds, that it may fairly be considered one of the most elegant and beautiful birds of
its order. It is fully equal to a Stork in size, being about three feet in height; and although by no means
! common in our collections, it has been long known to ornithologists. In the early work of Pennant it is not
only described, but tolerably well figured ; while Latham, Shaw, and all subsequent writers have included it
in their general histories. Its range of habitat is very great, extending over the whole of the warmer,
lacustrine, and flatter portions of the Indian Peninsula.

The ancient and extensive tanks, forming one of the many evidences of India’s former greatness, now
' (particularly in Ceylon) the constant resorts of Crocodiles, and the nightly rendezvous of the huge Elephant,
are also situations frequented by the Rosy Tantalus. After repeating that India generally, including Ceylon,
Assam, and Aracan, is inhabited by the bird, I may add that the fine specimen from which my figure was
taken was sent to London by M. Mouhdt, from Siam. From the meagre accounts which have reached us
, respecting its habits and economy, we may gather enough to be assured that it is one of the most useful, as
well as one of the most beautiful, of Indian birds. The number of lizards and other reptiles it daily devours
appears to be enormous; hence, as is always the case, Dati ua placed the right bird in the right rede:
| and in no other country, probably, will it ever thrive or be acclimatized, whatever may be the efforts of Societies

 

expressly formed for such a purpose. :
I shall now give in detail the few notes that have been recorded by Indian officers respecting this species.
“The Pelican [bis (as it may be termed),” says Dr. Jerdon, “is common all over India, frequenting rivers,
tanks, pools, and marshes, generally in parties more or less numerous, and feeding on fish, frogs, and aquatic
S95 ’ :

insects, and also, according to Sykes, on vegetable matter. It perches freely and breeds on lofty trees

é é n standing motionless
during the hot weather and monsoon. During the heat of the day, they may be ee eee e ! :
. ° ° 5 ar eo y ‘ o a during’ 1e nioh é
in the water, knee-deep, digesting their morning’s meal: they are said to feed a goo lei g | g
osy tinge during the hot weather, or breeding-season.

ryy : Bs a es e
The scapulars assume their most beautiful t Be
ee ’ says Lieut. Burgess, “is a common bird in the Deccan,

5 ‘
“The Pelican Ibis, as it is called by Dr. Jerdon, =
eeding ieve, chi n fish.
frequenting rivers and tanks, and feeding, I believe, chiefly o > pene
yarticularly during the breeding-season, when the back and scapularies atta
i * : : he natives of a village close to a tank frequented by them,
ee lace tae wben é fish in tl Sar they walk in the shallow water in
i ing-plac hat when they fish im the 3
and near to one of their breeding-places, t | ee
illag ten miles from the Godavery River,

ivi ; 2 another village, about
a line, driving the fish before them. In % ¢ gee ee ai

i ; walls ound a communi

there are a great number of large banian trees both outside and inside the walls, y
Cc Cc

its large size renders it remarkable,