SCARLET IBIS. 317 



whole length, and both are very sharp edged ; face and naked head and 

 part of the neck dull greenish blue, Avrinkled ; eye large, seated high in 

 the head ; irides dark red ; under the lower jaw is a loose corrugated 

 skin, or pouch, capable of containing about half a pint ; whole body, 

 neck and lower parts white ; quills dark glossy green and purple ; tail 

 about two inches shorter than the wings, even at the end, and of a deep 

 and rich violet ; legs and naked thighs dusky green ; feet and toes 

 yellowish sprinkled with black ; feet almost semipalmated and bordered 

 to the claws with a narrow membrane ; some of the greater wing coverts 

 are black at the root, and shafted with black ; plumage on the upper 

 ridge of the neck generally worn, as in the present specimen, with 

 rubbing on the back, while in its common position of resting its bill on 

 its breast, in the manner of the White Ibis (see fig. 3), 



The female has only the head and chin naked; both are subject to 

 considerable changes of color when young ; the body being found some- 

 times blackish above, the belly cinereous, and spots of black on the wing 

 coverts ; all of which, as the birds advance in age, gradually disappear, 

 and leave the plumage of the body, &c., as has been described. 



Species II. TANTALUS RUBER. 



SCARLET IBIS. 



[Plate LXVI. Fig. 2.] 



Le Courli rouge du Bresil, Briss. v., p. 344, 12, fig. 1, 2. — Buff, viii., p. 35. — Red 

 Curlew, Catesby, i., 84. — Lath, hi., p. 106. — Arct. Zool. No. 361.* 



This beautiful bird is found in the most southern parts of Carolina ; 

 also in Georgia and Florida, chiefly about the seashore and its vicinity. 

 In most parts of America within the tropics, and in almost all the West 

 India Islands it is said to be common ; also in the Bahamas. Of its 

 manners little more has been collected than that it frequents the borders 

 of the sea and shores of the neighboring rivers, feeding on small fry, 

 shell fish, sea worms and small crabs. It is said frequently to perch on 

 trees, sometimes in large flocks ; but to lay its eggs on the ground on a 

 bed of leaves. The eggs are described as being of a greenish color ; 



* We add the following synonymes : — Tantalus Ruber, Lath. Ind. Orn. p. 703, 

 No. 2.—T. fuscus, Id. p. 705, No. 8.— Gmel. Syst. i., p. 651, No. 5, No. I.—Le 

 Courly brun du Bresil, Briss. v., p. 341. — Brown Curlew, Catesby, i. 83, young. — 

 Courly rouge du Bresil, de Page de deux ans, PI. Enl. 80. — Id. de Vage de trois aiie, 

 81 



