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294. The Sacred Ibis. Ibis cethiopica (Latham). 



Ihis oethiopica. Shelley, p. 261. 



Though Von Heughn, " Syst. Ueb." page 61, has recorded 

 the sacred ibis as a breeding species at Wadi Haifa, there is no 

 doubt that at the present day this bird is extinct in Egypt. 

 Shelley's statement that " the food found in many of the 

 mummied specimens consists of shells, insects, and reptiles now 

 common in Egypt," proved that it once lived in the country is 

 no proof that it occurred there in a wild state. It may have been 

 imported from the Sudan. That it was venerated by the ancient 

 Egyptians is certain, owing to the number of mummied ibises 

 found, but many mummied ibises are the glossy ibis, so that 

 it is possible that the two were confused, as in the case of the 

 hawks. (Of the latter I have unrolled mummies of kestrels, 

 red-footed falcons, and merlins.) 



There seems little doubt that the sacred ibis occurred as 

 late as 1800, in Lower Egypt, where Savigny saw it (Gurney, 

 " Rambles of a Naturalist " p. 118). The latest record of this 

 ibis from Egypt, however, is that given in a footnote in Gurney's 

 " Rambles of a Naturalist" (p. 298), in which he states that 

 " since the preceding pages went to press," that is in 1876, 

 " M. Filliponi informed him that he had lately obtained a 

 sacred ibis near Damietta and seen three others." A description 

 of these birds sent to Mr. Gurney is accepted by the latter, 

 and such a careful and cautious ornithologist would not have 

 accepted this record unless he was convinced of its authenticity. 



Length about 28 inches. In the adult the head and neck 

 are covered with bare skin, which is black. The tips of the 

 wing feathers are black, and the secondaries are plume-like 

 and black with purple reflections, forming a plume over the 

 tail which is black ; rest of plumage white. 



295. African Wood Ibis. Tantalus ihis Linnaeus. 



Tantalus ibis. Shelley, p. 262. 



This wood ibis visits Upper Egypt occasionally from the 

 south. 



Length 34 inches. Face and pouch bare and scarlet ; 

 quills, wing coverts and tail black glossed with bronzy green ; 

 rest of plumage white suffused with pink, especially on and 

 under the wings ; bill yellow ; legs and feet olive. 



