112 WADING BIRDS. 



SCARLET IBIS. 



GUARA RUBRA. 



Char. Entire plumage deep scarlet, excepting the tips of the longest 

 wing-feathers, which are black. Length about 30 inches. 



Nest. In a colony, amid a thicket of small trees and vines ; placed on 

 a low tree or bush, — a mere platform of loosely arranged twigs and leaves. 



Eggs. 2-3; dull white or pale gray, spotted with brown; 2.10 X i.45- 



Nuttall followed Wilson in crediting the Scarlet Ibis to the 

 Southern States ; but its appearance within our borders during 

 recent years has been merely casual, and it has not been seen else- 

 where than in Florida and Louisiana. 



WHITE IBIS. 



GUARA ALBA. 



Char. Entire plumage pure white, excepting the tips of the longest 

 wing-feathers, which are black. In freshly killed specimens the white is 

 tinged with a delicate shade of pink. Length about 24 inches. 



Nest. In a colony, amid tall marsh-grass by the sea-shore or near a 

 pond in the woods ; a compactly woven structure, sometimes deeply hol- 

 lowed, but often quite shallow, made of reeds or twigs and lined with 

 green leaves ; fastened to upright reeds or placed on a bush or low tree. 



Eggs. 3-5 ; dull white tinted with green or blue, and marked with 

 brown spots; 2.25 X 1.50. 



This species, so extremely like the preceding, except in its 

 permanent v^^hite color, is likewise common in the tropical 

 parts of the American continent, particularly the Caribbee 

 Islands, and extends its residence at least as far south beyond 

 the equator as the coast of Brazil. Wilson observes that the 

 species appeared to be pretty numerous on the borders of Lake 

 Pontchartrain, near New Orleans, in the month of June ; he 

 also saw it on the low keys or islands off the coast of Florida. 

 These birds rarely proceed to the north of Carolina, which they 

 visit only for a few weeks towards the close of summer, — col- 

 lected probably from their dispersed breeding-places, a little 



