IV CICONIIDAE 97 
Dissura maguart having like habits. Anastomus is called the 
“Shell-Ibis” from its cleverness in extracting Unio and other 
molluscs from their shells, and d/ycteria thrusts its bill into the 
eround in search of grubs. The nests are frequently in tall trees, 
but may be on ledges or in cavities of cliffs, or on flat tops of rocky 
hills ; the shallow fabric, often of enormous size, being composed of 
sticks with or without a lining of grass, leaves, moss, rushes, feathers, 
down, or, exceptionally, clay. Colonies are in most cases formed, 
but White Storks occupy separate sites on houses, farms, towers, 
or even cart-wheels purposely erected, and Black Storks breed apart 
in woods and precipitous gorges. On the other hand, more than 
thirty nests of Anastomus have been observed in one tree. The 
egos, numbering from three to six, are white and chalky, and stain 
easily. Incubation lasts nearly four weeks. The adult inserts 
its bill into that of the helpless nestlng to feed it, while the male 
attends constantly upon his sitting mate; we may, however, safely 
disregard the more fabulous instances of affection recorded. 
“ Wood-Ibises”” are similar in habits, but they are more grega- 
rious ; and build smaller nests of twigs ned with moss, laying 
as many as eight white eggs, rarely streaked with pale brown. 
Tantalus loculator, the “ Wood-Ibis” of the warmer parts of 
America, is white, with metallic greenish-black remiges and 
rectrices, the bare head and upper neck being covered with dusky 
corrugated skin, and the crown with a smooth plate. The beak 
and feet are lead-coloured, the under wing-coverts pinkish. 7 
(Pseudotantalus) ibis of the Ethiopian Region has only the front of 
the head naked, but is rosy towards the upper and under wing- 
coverts, the smooth face and feet being red and the billyellow. 7. 
leucocephalus of the Indian and Indo-Chinese countries differs in its 
yellow face, while the Indo-Malay 7” cinereus has it red and black. 
Anastomus oscitans, the “ Open-bill,” another Indian and Indo- 
Chinese species, is white, with black scapulars, remiges, and rec- 
trices, yellow bill and feet ; the Ethiopian A. /amel/igerus is metallic 
black varied by a little rufous, the shafts of the feathers of the 
fore-neck and lower parts in adults expanding into flat shining, 
horn-like plates at the tip. Leptoptilus dubius, the “ Adjutant ” 
of the Indian Region, is greenish-black above and white below, 
the fleshy-red head and neck being naked with a few hairs, and 
a white ruff surmounting the shoulders, while a huge ruddy pouch, 
communicating with the nasal cavity, hangs below the throat. The 
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