A O- V. Ao. /8-f. 



AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 

 WHITE IBIS. 



RANGE. 



39" 



(Gaara alba.) 



South Atlantic and Gulf States, southward to the West Indies, and 

 northern South America. Rarely on the Atlantic coast as far north as- 

 Long Island. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length, 24 inches; extent of wings, 38 inches; tail, 4 inches; legs, 

 orange or red; eye, blue. Bill, head and throat, which are devoid of 

 feathers, orange or red. Entire upper and under parts, pure white. 

 Tips of primaries, glossy black. 



NEST AND EGGS. 



These birds live together in large colonies, hundreds and sometimes- 

 thousands breeding in the same marshes. The nest is composed of 

 closely woven reeds, and is fastened securely to the upright reeds .in 

 the marsh. They also breed abundantly in the low bushes on the 

 islands of the Gulf coast. The eggs, two or three in number, are of 

 an ashy color, spotted and blotched with brown and reddish brown of 

 different shades. 



HABITS. 



The immense colonies of the 

 beauliful waders, formerly num- 

 bered by thousands, but now 

 rapidly dwindling away, present a 

 wonderful picture at their breed- 

 ing grounds. The marsh is liter- 

 ally a white mass, the reeds bend- 

 ing under their heavy burdens. 



Besides the marshes, they fre- 

 quent the shores of lakes, ponds 



and rivers. They are wild and' 

 quite difficult to approach. When 

 alarmed they take flight in great 

 confusion, rising in every direc- 

 tion. However, they soon restore 

 order, and flying side by side in 

 an unbroken line, they move off. 

 They feed on small fish, moUusks, 

 crickets and other small insects^, 

 frogs, etc. 



