100 NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



altli«iu!»li Ilc-rraopolis was the patron city of tlie binl, as Bute of tlie kestrel and other 

 liawks, we tiii.l it also anion;; the tombs of Tliebes and Mein]iliis. No doubt the 

 wliitc ibis was imported into Italy and kcja about the temples of Isis. It was the 

 emblem of Thoth, tiie scribe or secretary of Osiris, whose duty it is to write down 

 and recount the deeds of the deceased ; in consequence the bird is constantly seen on 

 the ancient monuments under various forms.'' 



The sacred ibis inhabits tropical Africa down to the Transvaal ; a very near ally, 

 /. hernieri, is jieeuliar to iladagascar, while another, also very closely related form, /. 

 atrictipe/inis, inhabits Australia and several of the Molnccan islands. 



In regard lo the habits of this famous bird, the " well-known portrait of which 

 greets us — ever welcome — every quarter," we make the following abstracts from 

 the account of Dr. R. Vierthaler, who had rich ojiiwrluiiities for studying these birds 

 in their native haunts. "In the beginning of .September the^- build, in the neighbor- 

 liood of Khartum, their nests on the mimosas which stand in the middle of the inun- 

 dated marshes, twenty to thirty on a single tree. The nest is more or less skilfully 

 made, of the size of that of the rook, and woven together of coarse twigs, with an 

 inner layer of fine grass and a few feathers. The eggs, which are of a greenish white, 

 are generally three — rarely four — in number, and the size that of the mallard. It only 

 breeds once a year, but docs not confine itself strictly to one quite fixed time, as I 

 found young ones in November of the same size as those taken in the latter jiart of 

 Sjeptember, and it is not probable that this was caused by any disturbance during the 

 breeding, since the nests are nearly inaccessible, small boats being entirely wanting. 

 In freedom the ibis .shows a considerable cunning, and is so shy that the hunter can- 

 not creep uji to it, and almost always follows it in vain. It does not show any fear at 

 all for the natives, and I saw it often among the cattle, quite regardless of the shep- 

 herd or any other black man who happened to be <|uite near. Tiu; flesh of the young 

 as Well as the old binls is savory and tender, and when well pre])ared it is a great 

 dainty. The old Egyptians do not apj»ear to have been acquainted with this fact, or 

 they would not jirolwbly have emb.almed them." 



The extent of the feathermg on the head and neck is very variable in the ibises, 

 and numerous generic ajipellations have been created in consequence. In other 

 resjiects the group is rather liomogeneous, and few striking abnormalities can be 

 recorded. A curious modification of the feathei-s is found in the straw-throated ibis 

 (C<irji/ii/)is Kjiiiiicollis) from Australia, wliioli has tin- feathers of the front of the neck 

 ami breast changed into stiff and blunt spines, which in appearance and color are 

 8uri)risingly like short bits of straw hanging down over the breast in front. Both 

 males and females are said to possess this ornament, and, in fact, the sexes are similar 

 in all these birds. 



We have already, in the introduction (p. 0), alluded to the fact that the two alleged 

 8j)ecies of the gt'Uus Giiarn, the white and the scarlet ibi.ses, are structurally identical, 

 only differing in t'oloration as indicated by the names. The scarlet species is a native 

 of northeastern South America, and has only been reported as seen, but not obtained, 

 within onr fauna. On account of the brilliancy and jiureness of its red color, it is one 

 of the most beautiful water-birds, and as it bears the cajitivity ipiile well, it is often 

 kei)t in the zoological gardens. Here, however, the scarlet coloration soon gives way 

 to a regular rosy tint. 



Only one species, namely the glossy ibis {Plegadis mitunuuiUs), is distributed over 

 .•\11 tiie warmer regions of the globe. Like its congeners it has nearly the whole head 



