AN AUSTRALIAN BIRD BOOK. 53 



P. 45. Rhinochetidae, Kagu, 1 sp. A.cN.Cal.). 



F. 46. Mesoenatidae, 1 sp. E. (Madagascar). 



F. 47. Eurypygidac, Sun-bitterns, 2 sp. Nl. 



F. 48. Psophiidae, Trumpeters, 7 sp. Nl. 



F. 49. Cariamidae, Seriema, Saria, 2 sp. Nl. 



ORDER XII. — ARDEIFORMES. 



F. 50. IBIDIDAE (3), IBISES, 27 sp.— 4(2)A., 6(2)0., 



3(0)P., 10(8)E., 4(0)Nc., 11(7)N1. 

 1 112 Australian White Ibis (Black - necked), Sickle- Bill, 

 5 This mohiccG, Mol., N.G., A. =vt. Sacred Ibis of 



Egypt. Nom. flocks, r. lagoons 30 



White; head, upper-neck bare black; back of head and 

 neck barred rose-pink; black bill arched; f., smaller. 

 Insects. 

 1 113 Straw-necked Ibis, Dryweather (Letter) Bird, Far- 

 1 mer's Friend, Carphihis spinicollis, A. T. 



Nom. flocks, c. grassy 28 



"This beautiful ibis;" head, fore-neck naked black; black 



bill arched; pointed, straw-colored plumes on neck; 



breast, upper greenish-purple barred black; abdomen, 



flanks, tail white; f., smaller. Insects. 



1 114 Glossy Ibis. Black Curlew (e), Plegadis falcinellus, 



3 A., T., N.Z., almost cos. exc. S. Am., Arctic, and Pac. 



Is. Nom. flocks, v.r. sivampy 25 



Head, neck, breast, back, under rich reddish-chestnut; 

 lower-back, tail dark bronze-green; winter; head, neck 

 streaked white; f., sim. Insects, worms. 

 P. 51. PLATALEIDAE (2), SPOONBILLS, 6 sp.— 2(2)A., 



2(0)0., 2(0)P., 2(-L)E., l(0)Nc., 1(0)N1. 

 1 115 Black-billed Spoonbill (Royal), Platalea regia. A., 



4 N.Z. Nom. r. marshy 29 

 White; bill, legs, feet black; f., sim. Shellflsh, frogs. 



parties," "corroborees," and dances. They live chiefly on vermin 

 — insects, lizards, &c. The great Gould said: "Its presence adds 

 greatly to the interest of the scenery." Would that more Aus- 

 tralians thought so! 



Cranes are amongst the best of flyers. They are said to fly 

 sometimes at a height of from three and a half to five miles, and 

 have been seen to cross lofty mountains in Central Asia without 

 increasing their altitude. Perhaps because of its inappropriate 

 name — Native Companion — some have proposed to regard this 

 bird as the typical Australian bird, but it is not so. In fact, it 

 is our one representative of an almost world-wide group. 



In Order XII. Australia has representatives of the Ibises, 

 Spoonbills, Storks, Herons, Egrets, Night Herons, and Bitterns, so 

 well known in every part of the world. 



Amongst the world's birds, few are better known than the Ibis. 

 This bird was so highly prized by the ancient Egyptians as to be 

 considered sacred, and they thought enough of it to embalm it. 

 As Egypt depended on the overflow of the Nile for food supply, 



