PLATALEID.E. 109 



Its habits in North America, where it is called the " Wood-Ibis," are 

 tolerably well known, and in the ornithological works of that country it 

 is described as " a hermit standing listless and alone on the topmost 

 limb of some tall decayed cypress, its neck drawn in upon its shoulders, 

 and its enormous bill resting like a scythe upon its breast/' 



It there nests on tall trees, sometimes in company with Egrets, and 

 lays three white eggs. 



Fam. XXXVII. PLATALEID.E, OR IBISES. 



The Spoonbills and Ibises constitute a homogeneous family of Hero- 

 diones, which have a wide distribution over the earth's surface, although 

 mostly prevalent within intertropical limits. They fall naturallv into 

 two groups the Ibises, distinguished by their elongated, compressed, 

 and sickle-shaped bills ; and the Spoonbills, at once known by the pecu- 

 liar form of the same organ, which is much expanded at its termination. 

 Of about twenty-five known species of Ibises, the Neotropical Region 

 possesses eight or nine, and of these four occur in Argentina. Of the 

 Spoonbills only one is Neotropical, and that is met with throughout the 

 southern portion of South America. 



327. PLEGADIS GUARAUNA (Linn.). 

 (WHITE-FACED IBIS.) 



Plegadis guarauna, Baird, Brew., et Ridyw. Water-B. N. A. i. p. 97. Falci- 

 nellus guarauna, Elliot, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 505. Ibis falcinellus, Hudson, 

 P. Z. S. 1870, p. 799 (Buenos Ayres). Falcinellus igneus, Durnford, Ibis, 

 1877, p. 189 (Buenos Ayres). Plegadis falcinellus, Gibson, Ibis, 1880, 

 p. 155 (Buenos Ayres) ; Barrows, Auk, 1884, p. 272 (Entrerios). Ibis 

 chalcoptera, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 511 (Parana, Mendoza). 



Description. Head, neck, and under surface purplish chestnut, with a white 

 band round the base of the bill ; back with metallic reflexions : wings and tail 

 bright green, with bronzy reflexions ; band across upper wing-coverts chestnut ; 

 bill reddish grey ; feet brown : whole length 22'0 inches, wing 9'0, tail 3'0. 

 Female similar. 



Hab. Central and South America. 



This form of the well-known " Glossy Ibis " of Europe is one of our 

 most abundant waterfowl on the pampas, and appears in spring in 

 flocks ; but as their movements are somewhat irregular and many indi- 

 viduals remain with us through the winter, their migrations probably 



