284 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Genus THRESKIORNIS, G. R. Gray. 



The well-known Sacred Ibis of Egypt is the type of this 

 genus, of which there are several species, all inhabiting the Old 

 World. 



Sp. 539. THRESKIORNIS STRICTIPENNIS. 



White Ibis. 



Ibis strictipennis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part v. p. 106. 



Yam-bull-bull, Aborigines of Port Essington. 

 Black-necked Ibis, Colonists of Port Essington. 

 White Ibis of the Colonists of New South Wales. 



Threskiornis strictipennis, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vi. 

 pi. 46. 



The same cause that induced the Straw-necked Ibis {Car- 

 pliihis spinicollis) to visit New South Wales in such abundance 

 during the year 1839 acted equally on the present bird, which 

 was not only observed at the same period, but the two species 

 were frequently seen in company ; one marked difference, 

 however, was noticed, namely, that while the Carphibis spini- 

 collis visited equally the lagoons and the plains, the Threski- 

 ornis strictipennis confined itself solely to the wet hollows of 

 flats, the banks of rivers, lagoons, &c., wading knee-deep 

 among the rushes and green herbage in search of frogs, newts, 

 and insects, upon which it feeds ; when satiated it mounted 

 upon the bare branches of the large gum-trees bordering the 

 feeding-place, and then became so watchful that it could not 

 be approached within gun-shot without the utmost caution. 

 The natives as well as the colonists assured me that it was 

 seldom so abundant as at the period of my visit, and I be- 

 lieve that many seasons sometimes elapse without its appear- 

 ing there at all. I encountered this bird either in pairs or in 

 small flocks of from five to twenty in number, but it was 

 never a hundredth part so plentiful as the Carphibis spinicollis. 



