of the United States, 311 



Young, blackish; head and neck yellowish-white; belly 

 cinereous. 



Wood Ibis, Tantalus loculator, Wils. Am. Om. viii. p. 39. 

 pi. 66- fig. |. adult. 



Inhabits America from Carolina to Brazil: in the United 

 States during summer only. 



49. IBIS. 



Tantalus, L. Gm. Lath. Numenius, Briss. Falcinellus^ 

 Bechst. Meyer. Ibis, Lacep. III. Cuv. Vieill. Temm. 



Bill slender, thicker at base, tetragonal-cylindrical, arcua- 

 ted, depressed, obtuse at tip; upper mandible deeply furrow- 

 ed its whole length, entire ; lower deeply channelled beneath : 

 nostrils in the furrow, basal, lateral, longitudinal, linear, half 

 closed by a membrane : tongue very short, deep in the throat, 

 triangular, thick, smooth, cartilaginous, fimbriated at base. 

 Face and throat naked. Tarsus longer than the middle 

 toe : nails short, somewhat curved, rather obtuse, middle one 

 often pectinated. First primary hardly shorter than the 

 second and third, which are longest. 



Feed exclusively on insects, worms, mollusca, and also 

 vegetable substances. Migrate periodically, and to wonder- 

 ful distances; the migration of some species being limited only 

 by the boundaries of our globe. 



Inhabit all quarters of the world. Venerated by the an- 

 cient Egyptians. 



239. Ibis rubra, Vieill. Scarlet, richer and brighter accord- 

 ing to age ; outer quill-feathers blue-black at tip ; face 

 reddish. 



Young cinereous, back and wings blackish ; rump and be- 

 neath white. 



Scarlet Ibis, Tantalus ruber, Wils. Jim. Om. viii. p. 41. 

 pi. 66. fig. 2. adult. Tantalus fuscus, L. young. (>2) 



Inhabits the warmer parts of America : during summer 

 only, the southern extremity of the union : rare. 



