GLOSSY IBIS. 497 



saw any other species. Let it now be remembered that the 

 ancient Egyptians honoured two species of Ibis; that the 

 essential distinction established by Herodotus between these 

 birds is equally obvious in ours, and moreover that which the 

 Arabs still remark in them ; that the White Ibis was very 

 black on the head, neck, tips of the wings, and the rump, 

 while the Black Ibis was very black all over ; an expression 

 which the Greek historian employs only with doubt and by 

 contrast, and, in all cases, which he has evidently used to 

 designate a black colour with rich reflections, and even a 

 greyish-black, since both of these colours exist in the plumage 

 of the White Ibis : let all this be remembered, and we shall 

 be forced to agree that our second species of Numenius is 

 also the Black Ibis of which the ancients have made mention. 

 We come to this conclusion with perfect strictness, unless we 

 reject all that we may consider as previously proved, namely, 

 that our White Ibis is the true White Ibis of the ancient 

 Egyptians. If it were necessary to add another proof to these 

 various considerations, I would take one which would of 

 itself confirm the opinion that I have just advanced : the 

 bird which I present as the Black Ibis has not lost its ancient 

 Egyptian name, that of Leheras or leheras, which Aristotle 

 has recorded, and which recurs as it were without alteration 

 in the Arabian name El hareiz, also pronounced El hareis, 

 and even El hereis, which this bird receives at Menzala, 

 Damietta, Rosetta, and in the whole of the Delta, from the 

 Egyptians of the present day. 



" The Black Ibis, as is known, occurs not only in Egypt," 

 but in Europe, for example, in Denmark, Germany, and 

 especially in Italy, where it is migratory, and arrives in 

 spring in great numbers, according to Mauduit, who has 

 given its colours in detail, but says nothing of its habits. 

 However, I do not believe that it ever entered the mind of a 

 European that this bird preys on serpents ; and when I affirm 

 the contrary, I assuredly have no fear of being contradicted 

 by the naturalists who, engaging after me in the same subject, 

 may easily judge of the accuracy of these first statements by 

 their own observations. The anatomical inspection of the 

 Black Ibis made me at first think that it had a nearly as 



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