IBIDID.E 



IBIS 



95 



p. 335 ; Fleck, Journ. Ornith. 1894, p. 385 ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 

 155 (1896) ; W. L. Sclater, Ibis, 1896, p. 521 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. 

 xxvi, p. 4 (1898) ; Woodward Bros. Natal B. p. 190 (1899) ; Marshall, 

 Ibis, 1900, p. 265 ; Eeiclienow, Vog. Afr. i, p. 321 (1901) ; Haagner, 

 Ibis, 1902, p. 574. 

 " Schoorsteeii veger" (i.e., Chimney Sweeper) of the Dutch. 



Description. Adult Male. Plumage above and below pure white 

 throughout ; the tips of the primaries and outer secondaries steel 

 green ; the inner secondaries and scapulars elongated and dependent, 

 forming ornamental plumes, the distal halves of these feathers 

 decomposed, very loose in texture and metallic purple in colour; 

 head and neck all round to the base, without feathers and black in 

 colour. 



FIG. 26. Head of Ibis cethiopica. x \ 



Iris dark brown ; a white or pinkish spot under the eye, bill 

 very dark brown, naked space under the wings bright brick red, 

 legs dark reddish, becoming darker towards the toes. 



Length about 35-0 ; wing 15-5 ; tail 5-5 ; culmen 6-5 ; tarsus 

 3-85 ; middle toe and claw 3-55. The female resembles the male 

 but is slightly smaller, wing about 14'6 ; culmen 5*8. 



Young birds have the head and neck covered with short feathers, 

 black, variegated with white on the back and sides of the head and 

 neck, white on the throat and front of the neck, the bastard wing 

 and primary coverts are tipped with black as are also the quills, 

 while the decomposed secondaries are very much shorter ; iris dark 

 brown, bill, legs and skin of throat black. 



The completely bare black head and neck are not acquired till 

 the second or third year. 



A nestling is clothed with short white down all over the body, 

 the head and neck being black ; the bill is straight, short, conical 

 and pink in colour. 



