The ep;f,'s are usually three, sometimes lour, rarely live in iiuinher for a sittuii;, and as pointed 

 out by the late Mr. K. II. liennett, nests are frequently tonnj containin<,' one an 1 two incubated 

 eggs. In shape they vary from oval to elongated-oval, some specimens being much compressed 

 towards the smaller end, others distinctly pyriform; they are of a unif(jrm dull white, the shell 

 being coarse-grained, minutely pitted all over and lustreless, with here antl there a limy 

 excrescence, the inner surface of the shell being of a dark green shade. Incubated eggs are 

 usually much soiled and nest-stained. A set of three in the Australian Museum Collection, 

 taken by Mr. K. H. Bennett in the Lachlan District, New South Wales, measures: — 

 Length (A) 2-64 x 1-58 inches; (6)2-53 ^ 174 inches; (0)2-52 x 1-77 inches. A set of four 

 taken by Mr. George Savidge near Lawrence, on the Clarence River, on the 24th September, 

 1 90 1, measures : — Length (A) 2-67 x 1-76 inches: (B) 2-58 x 1-79 inches; (C) 2-64 x 1-73 

 inches; (D) 2-53 x 1-75 inches. Another set of four taken on the same day measures : — -Length 

 (A) 2-58 X 1-72 inches; (B) 2-67 x 1-67 inches; (C) 2-59 x 1-69 inches: (D) 2-58 x 1-72 

 inches. 



September to the end of December constitutes the normal breeding season, but in some 

 districts it is much influenced by the rainfall. Daring periods of drought many birds do not 

 breed at all, but as one or more dry seasons are usually succeeded by a heavy downfall, and 

 parts of the country are in a flooded condition, both the White and Straw-necked Ibis then 

 breed irrespective of the time of the year. 



Carphibis spinicoUis. 



STRAW-NECKED IlllS. 

 Ibis spuiironi.'i, Jameson, Edin. New. Phil. Journ., Vol. XIX., p. 213 (1835). 

 Gero7iiicus spiiticollis, Gould, Bds. Austr., fol. Vol. VI., pi. 4") (l.'^4.^) 



Carphibis spinicoUis, Gould, Handbk. Bd.s. Austr., Vol. II., p 282 (1865) ; Sharpe, Cat. Bds. Brit. 

 Mus., Vol. XXVI., p. 11 (1898) ; id., Hand-1. Bds., Vol. I., p. 185 (1899). 



Adult .M.\LK. — (rmfral colour above black ylossi'il tciih green on tic. loiver portion of Jiind-neck, 

 piirp/e oil the mantle, bronze on the back : /esser and upper iving-coverls like the back, tlie median 

 and greater series and scajndars glossed with rich pnrple and barred witli black, the inner secondaries 

 also shaming remains 0/ more or less distinct pnrplis/t barrings ; remainder of the secondaries and the 

 primaries black : rnmp and upper tail-coverts black slightly glossed iviih bronzy-green, which is more 

 distinct on the margins of ilie feathers; head and neck bare, the front of lower neck covered with 

 straw-colonred plumes ; npper portion of neck all round and the centre of the fore-neck white, becoming 

 blackish glossed ivith purple toicards the I oa^r portion of hinil-neck, whic/i. extends on to tlie sides of 

 the foreneck ; sides of cheit black, strongly glossed with pnrple and green: remainder of tlte under 

 surface and under tail-coverts mhite, bare skin of head and throat inky-black ; bill black, the basal 

 portion transversely barred tmth yelloivisli-bromn : thighs crimson; legs and feet hlackish-brotcn ; iris 

 dark brown. Total lengl/i in the flesh 3o inches, ^ciiiij 1.5, tail fyl, bill 7'1, tarsns o'S. 



Adult kI';m.\le. — Similar in plumage to tlie nude. 



Distribution. — North-western Australia, Northern Territory of South Australia, Queensland, 

 New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania. 



gKN many respects the Straw-necked Ibis resembles the preceding species, its distribution over 

 Jl. the Australian continent being ahnost similar ; the two species are frequently found nesting 

 together, and their eggs are indistinguishable from each other. The present species has been 

 2 



