110 



tions, in thoir clumsy olTTorts to hide themselves. On a further 

 search of the Polygonum scrub, which was of immense extent, I 

 had the good luck to discover several otlier colonies, many of the 

 nests containing eggs, though young birds were far more numerous. 

 Tlie various nests I examined contained from one to thi'ee eggs, 

 but strange to say they were all in an advanced stage of incuba- 

 tion, no matter what the number was. I succeeded however, in 

 obtaining nine eggs, three from one nest and two each from three 

 others. In no instance did I observe more tlian three eggs or 

 three young birds in any nest. The nests are similar in con- 

 struction and material to those of GeroiUicus spinicoUis, being 

 nearly flat structures composed of long spiny sticks and twigs 

 interlaced through one another, measuring about eighteen inches 

 in diameter by six in height, the colonies liowever are smaller and 

 more separated, each containing from ten to iifteen nests, wliilst 

 those of Geronticus spinicoUis, are from fifty to a liundred and even 

 more, this possibly is accounted for Ijy the fact of the latter being 

 infinitely more numerous. 



" Having thus obtained the eggs of Threskiornis strictipennis, 

 T went on to the breeding place of GerontAcus spinicoUis, several 

 hundred yards distant, here as with the White Ibis, I found the 

 young birds far more numerous than the eggs, but as the nests 

 were in such numljers I had no difficvdty in obtaining as many 

 eggs as I required. This Ijreeding place was of great extent, and 

 there must have been thousands of young ones, tlie whole place 

 being fairly alive with them as they scrambled oft" on my near 

 approach, so much so, that the moving mass quite frightened my 

 hor'se, and I had some difiiculty in getting him near enough to the 

 nests to reach the eggs. In trying to secrete tliemselves, I ol)served 

 that numbers of the young birds shared the same fate as their 

 wliite confrh'p.s, whilst numbers of dead ones in the same fix 

 showed plainly that they had been disturbed on some previous 

 occasion." 



Amongst several sets of the eggs of G eronticus spinicoUis and 

 Threskiornis strictipennis, now before me, specimens of the eggs 

 of each bird could be picked out that for shape, size, and colour 

 it would be impossible to distinguisli those of one species from 

 the other. The eggs of Threskiornis strictipeniiis, vary in shape 

 from oval to pointed ovals, and are of a very faint greenish-white 

 on the outer surface and of a dark green tint on tlie inner surface 

 when held up against the light, the shell being minutely pitted all 

 over, and lustreless. 



A set of two measures as follows : — (A) 2-57 x 1-82 inch ; (B) 

 2-57 X 1-75 inch. Another set of three measure: — (A) 2-r)5 x 

 1-76 inch ; (B) 2-.'>8 x 1-77 inch ; (C) an elongate oval 2-G7 x 1-7 

 inch. 



Hah. The whole of Australia, except South-west. 



