NESTS AXD EGGS Of AUSTRALIAIV BIRDS. 



945 



Ef/gs:. — Clutch, tlu-ee to four ; oval in shape ; texture of shell coarse ; 

 surface very slightly glossy ; colour, cold or deep bluish-green. Di- 

 mensions in inches of odd examples: (1) 2-12 x 1-45, (2) 2-09 x 1'44, 

 (3) 20 X 1-4. (Plate 25.) 



Ohncrrnfionfi. — This Ibis is well named " Glossy," from the bronze- 

 gi-een and pm-plish reflections of the feathers on the lower part of the 

 back and wings, these resplendent colours being enhanced by the rest 

 of the plumage of the bird, which is rich chestnut. Altogether it is 

 a lovely creature, smaller and more slenderly built than its other two 

 compeers. The total length of a specimen is about 21 inches, including 

 5 inches for a bill. The Glossy Ibis is somewhat of a cosmopolitan ; 

 in addition to being foimd in Australia, its habitat extends to Asia, 

 Europe, and Africa, and a part of Nortli America. Indeed, it is one 

 of the identical species that the ancient Egyptians so highly venerated. 

 Unlike the other two kinds, this bird nests in trees and lays dark 

 bluish-green eggs. 



To Mr. K. H. Bennett belongs the honour of first talung the eggs 

 of the Glossy Ibis in Australia. The following is his descriptive note 

 to Mr. A. J. North on the occasion — " On the 22nd October, 1S89, 

 whilst swimming about in a large depression on the plains, filled with 

 water by the late heavy rains, and thickly overgrown with box-trees 

 (a species of Eucalyptus), in quest of the eggs of Spoonbills (Plataha 

 flavipes), I noticed a Glossy Ibis flhis falcitie//i(s ) fly off a nest, but 

 as I had never heard of this bird breeding here, I did not take much 

 notice of the occurrence, tliinking that the Ibis had been merely perched 

 vipon the nest, although I thought at the time it appeared very different 

 from those of the Herons and Spoonbills. After swimming about for 

 some time and obtaining several Spoonbills' eggs, I returned to land, 

 and in doing so passed the tree in which T had noticed the Ibis, and 

 again saw it fly oflt the nest, and at once concluded it was the nest of 

 the Ibis after all. On ascending the tree (the branch the nest was 

 placed on being not more than eight or ten feet from the water) 

 I foimd that such was the case, and it contained one freshly-laid egg, 

 wliich I imfortunately broke whilst swimming to land. On the 2nd 

 November I again visited this swamp or depression, in tlie hopes of 

 obtaining more Ibises' eggs, and was so fortunate as to obtain six, 

 three of which were from the nest from which I took one on the 22nd 

 ultimo. A fuiiher seaixh revealed another nest, which also contained 

 three eggs, but which were considerably larger than those previously 

 obtained, so much so that had I not seen the bird fly off the nest 

 I should have been in doubt as to their identity, but on this point there 

 was no possibihty of mistake, for the eggs being in a somewhat advanced 

 stage of incubation, the old bird evinced a gi-cat reluctance to quit the 

 nest, and allowed me to approach almost within arm's length before 

 she did so. The two nests were placed in three or more upright 

 pronged forks of the branches of small box-trees, and were both com- 

 posed of bunches of box leaves piled up on the forks to the height of 

 about a foot, the top being slightly hollowed out, but without any 

 lining. On the 26th November I again visited this swamp, and found 

 60 



