124 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I50 



PLEGADIS FALCINELLUS FALCINELLUS (Linnaeus): Glossy Ibis; Morito 



Tantalus Falcinellus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, vol. 1, 1766, p. 241. (Lake 

 Neusiedl, Austria.) 



An ibis with smoothly feathered head, that is dark in color through- 

 out. 



Description. — Length 460 to 560 mm. Adult, in the hand, above 

 shining bronzy green, with purplish reflections ; lower parts chestnut. 

 At any distance, in life, they appear black. 



Immature, upper surface duller, lower surface dark grayish brown ; 

 head and neck streaked with white. 



Iris brown ; bare lores purplish black ; bill fuscous brown ; tarsus 

 and toes greenish-brown. 



Measurements. — Males (5 from southeastern United States and 

 Hispaniola) wing 275-286 (279.6), tail 97.9-104.0 (101.0), culmen 

 from base 127.5-136.6 (131.3), tarsus 99.2-112.0 (103.1) mm. 



Females (5 from southeastern United States and Hispaniola) wing 

 252-260 (257.4), tail 90.3-94.5 (92.5), culmen from base 100.4-108.1 

 (102.7), tarsus 78.0-88.0 (81.8) mm. 



Casual wanderer. One record, March 18, 1949, a specimen taken 

 near the La Jagua Hunting Club east of Pacora. 



On March 18, 1949, three fed together over the drying muddy bed 

 of Cienaga Campana. After watching them for a few minutes I 

 flushed them in order to drop one at long range. Presumably this 

 small flock may have been migrant from one of the known breeding 

 colonies in the Greater Antilles, though one may speculate on the 

 possibility of nesting groups elsewhere. 



I was told that dark-colored ibises (called coco negro) are found 

 at times in this region, but it seems probable that these were the 

 Cayenne ibis. It seems probable also that the white-faced glossy ibis, 

 Plegadis chihi ( Vieillot) , may occur here. 



While there has been much uncertainty relative to identification of 

 immature specimens of the two species of glossy ibises I have found 

 them to be readily separable. In P. f. falcinellus back, wings, and 

 tail are deep oil green, and the entire dorsal surface appears darker 

 and blacker. In P. chihi back, wings, and tail are lighter green with 

 a distinct brassy sheen, and the dorsal surface is lighter, more dark 

 brownish gray. 



The type locality listed above has been designated by Hellmayr and 

 Conover (Cat. Birds Amer., pt. 1, no. 2, 1948, p. 265). 



