NORTH AMERICAN MARSH BIRDS 35 



The records by H. E. Dresser (1866), H. B. Bailey (1881), W. E. 

 D. Scott (1889), W. W. Cooke (1897a), and Beyer, AUison, and 

 Kopman (1908) need not be considered here. 



The most recent record is by R. A. Sell (1917) who saw a single 

 bird at Corpus Christi, Texas, after the storm of August 18, 1916. 

 He says: 



On one of the drifts that contained 31 dead cattle besides the bodies of 215 

 birds of various kinds, there stood a solitary scarlet ibis. Like a garnet in the 

 sands, or a rosy promise of the morning sun, it stood, gracefully poised above the 

 terrible ruin — an encouragement, an inspiration, an unfailing hope — not as the 

 rainbow suggesting the possibility of another destructive force, but as an ani- 

 mated symbol that life is immortal. 



Later Mr. Sell (1918) gave an account of his investigations in 

 Texas, quoting Prof. H. P. Attwater, W. N. Wilson, J. B. Sternberg, 

 J. C. Carlson, H. E. Lea, J. G. Holman, J. H. Jones, Dr. F. H. Rus- 

 sell, J. W. Woods, I. N. Heibner, and C. E. Bainbridge, a taxidermist 

 who had mounted a specimen as identified by him. He mentions 

 nine specimens that have been preserved: Two in Houston, two in 

 San Antonio, three in Galveston, one in Rockport, and one in Corpus 

 Christi. 



Words are wholly inadequate when it comes to describing the scar- 

 let ibis in its native surroundings. "Once seen, never forgotten." 

 (Dawson, 1917) ; "scarlet livery of dazzling beauty." (Edwards, 

 1847); "jets of flame." (Beebe, 1910); " glowing like the essence of 

 rubies." (Beebe, 1918); "like a rose-colored cloud lighted by the 

 morning sun." (Hagmann, 1907); "beautiful red stains on the 

 green background." (Leotaud, 1866); "the mangroves as it were 

 spattered with blood." (F. P. and A. P. Penard, 1908); these are 

 some of the expressions used by writers who have seen this wonder- 

 ful bird in life. 



Picture an unfrequented spot on the "wild coast" of South Amer- 

 ica; a wave-scarred sandbar reaching out into the thick, muddy sea 

 at the mouth of a mighty tropical river; unmapped beaches and 

 treacherous mud flats bordered by dark-green mangroves. Suddenly 

 from around a bend a flock of two score scarlet ibises break into 

 view, flying abreast in a compact row. They approach swiftly pass- 

 ing almost within gunshot from where we stand and alight upon one 

 of the inaccessible mangrove islets and the surrounding flats. Under 

 the slanting rays of the morning sun these beautiful birds reflect the 

 most dazzling scarlet, in sharp contrast with the dark-green foliage. 



William Beebe (1910) gives the following description of such a 

 scene in Venezuela: 



The tide was falling rapidly, swirling and eddying past the boat, and the roots 

 of the mangroves began to protrude, their long stems shining black until the 

 water dried from them. Mud fiats appeared, and suddenly, without warning, a 

 living flame passed us — and we had seen our first scarlet ibis. 



