102 IBIDID^ PLEGADIS 



this particular tree for any length of time. During the day they 

 disperse over the country in smaller parties to their feeding grounds. 

 These are often in dense bush, sometimes in old mealie gardens, or 

 even about the open hills. The food consists almost entirely of 

 insects of various kinds, for which they are constantly in search all 

 day. The note of this Ibis is very loud and harsh, and can be heard 

 at a great distance ; it is approximately syllabled " ha-ha-ha-dahah," 

 and from this sound the bird has obtained not only its vernacular, 

 but also its Latin name, the latter having been applied to it by 

 the Swedish traveller Sparrman, who first met with this bird in the 

 forests of Houtniquas (i.e., Knysna). 



The nesting habits of the Hadada have been described by 

 Ayres, Eeid and Andersson. The nest is generally placed in a tree 

 overhanging a stream, and is a somewhat slight structure built of 

 sticks and lined with a little dry grass, and rather flat at the top, so 

 that it is surprising that the eggs do not fall out. The usual clutch 

 consists of three eggs ; these are very different from those of the 

 other Ibises, being greenish or greyish-buff, densely covered with 

 brownish splotches and streaks. The example in the British Museum, 

 obtained by Ayres and figured in the Catalogue of Birds' Eggs, is 

 stated to be rather rough and much pitted with pores, and to 

 measure 2-43 x 1-57. 



Reid's nest was found near Colenso on November 13th ; the 

 eggs were slightly incubated. Dr. Stark in his notes described 

 a nest found by him on the upper waters of the Mooi Eiver, 

 in the Drakensberg, on November 8th ; it contained two nestlings 

 recently hatched, while a broken egg was found on the ground 

 below the nest. Major Sparrow found the Hadada breeding in 

 the same place as the Bald Ibis, on the cliffs of a spur of the 

 Upper Drakensberg, near Newcastle, on October 20th ; in this 

 case the nest was at the base of a tree growing out of the side 

 of the cliff, and contained two eggs. 



Everyone is agreed that the flesh of the Hadada is very good 

 eating. 



Genus IV. PLEGADIS. 



Type. 

 Plegadis, Kaup, Natiirl. Syst. p. 82 (1829) P. falcinellus. 



Bill more slender and less down-curved than in Ibis, the groove 

 less marked and the culmen not so ridged; head and throat feathered 

 except for a space between the eye and the base of the bill, which 



