WHITE IBIS. ■, of^ 



FAMILY' 1. IBIDID^. THE IBISES AND SPOONBILLS. 



Bill, at least twice qs long as the head and grooved throughout. Furcula, short, well 

 arclied, not projected backward, nor approximating very closelg to the tip of keel. Mar- 

 ginal indent at io7is, four. 



Tlu' head is moro or less niikwl in iulult specimens. The treuchea is flattened throuo-h- 

 out and the larynx is about normal and provided with a thin bronchialis. The stomach is 

 muscular, and there are two small cceca. Members of this family are widely distributed 

 throughout the world, occurring mainly, however, in the Tropics. The young are covered 

 with down at birth, but are comparatively helpless and are feed by regurgitation. 



(iENUS I. IBIS. THE IBISES. 



Gen. Cii. Bill, lonyer than head, quite slender, not ea-panded at tip, and vjel l-cvrved downward. Sterno-treac/iealis, 

 present. Webs between toes, small. 



The lar3'iix Is normal in position. The inte.stines are large and short. Sexes, similar. Tliere are two species within 

 our limits. 



IBIS ALBA. 



White Ibis. 



Jbis alba Vieill., Orn. Diet.; 18IH. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cu. Form, robust. Size, medium. Tongue, short, -35 long, somewhat fleshy, and narrowing gradually to tip 

 which is rounded. 



Color. Adult. Head, naked beyond eyes. Pure white throughout, with the four outer primaries tipped witli black 

 glossed with green. Bill, naked .space about head, and feet, bright yellow. Iris, pale blue. 



Young. Above, and on head and nock, dark-brown glossed with greenish on the former and streaked on the two latter 

 with a.shy. Lower back, rump, upper tail coverts, and lower portions, white. Head, feathei'ed to eyes. Bill , naked space 

 about head, and legs, bi'ownish-yellow. Iris, brown. 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 There are all gradations in plumage between the adult and young, .specimens being frequently mottled with white a- 

 bove. Readily known in the adult stage by the curved bill and pure white colors, and in the young stoge I y the white pos- 

 terior portions above. Distributed, in summer, from the Carolina?, scmthwani; wintering in Florida. Sii-agijlers occasion- 

 ally wander north, even as far as New England. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of specimens from Florida. Length, 24'50; stretch, 37'3.5; wing, 11-25; t:iil, 4 30; ' ill, 5 20; 

 tai-sus, 3-70. Longest specimen, 27'50; greatest extent of wing, 3.-!-50; lonjest wing. U7.5: tail, 4 7(>; bill, 0I>5; taivus, 

 4 30. Shortest specimen, 21-50; smallest extent of wing, 36'25: shortest wing, 1050; tail, 3-90; bill, 435; lai-sus, 3-15. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Nests, placed on trees or bushes and compo.sed of sticks, somewhat loosely arranged. l!^r/s, two or three in number, 

 oval in form, ashy-blue in color, spotted and blotched irregularly with reddish-brown of varying shades. Dimensions from 

 1 •40x2-15 torH5x2-40. 



HABITS. 



The great strong-hold of the White Ibises in Florida, is the marshe.s which lie nn both 

 sides of the upper St. John's, above Lake George. Here the level country strotclies out 

 on either hand as far as the eye can reach, but as it is nearly always inuiidaicd, leaving 

 only the grass-tops exposed, or wide-spread, muddy flats, which are so soft that they will 

 not bear the weight of a man, this section is nearly or quite inaccessible. This prooves 

 fortunate for the birds, and Herons and Ibises frequent this section in numbers which ap- 

 pear astonishing to one who is not accustomed to .seeing a large number of birds together; 

 for they gather in flocks of hundreds of thousands, fairly darkening the air when they ri?o. 



