IBIDID.E PLEGADIS 103 



is covered by smooth skin ; wing pointed, the first two primaries 

 subequal ; tail short, less than half the length of the wing, nearly 

 square, of twelve feathers ; tarsus longer than the middle toe and 

 claw, covered in front by transverse scutes ; claw of the middle toe 

 nearly straight, and pectinated along its inner margin. 



Three species of this genus have been described, only one of 

 which occurs in Africa. The range of the genus extends over the 

 greater part of the world. 



607. Plegadis falcinellus. Glossy Ibis. 



Tantalus falcinellus, Linn., Syst. Nat. i, p. 241 (1766). 

 Numenius igneus, S. G. Gmel., Eeis. Sibir. i, p. 166 (1770). 

 Falcinellus igneus, Kirk, Ibis, 1864, p. 334 ; Gurney, Ibis, 1865, p. 272 



[Natal] ; Ay res, Ibis, 1871, p. 266. 

 Ibis falcinellus, Layard, B. S. 'Afr. p. 319 (1867) ; Holub < Pelzeln, 



Orn. Siid- Afr. p. 291 (1882). 

 Plegadis falcinellus, Dresser, B. Eur. vi, p. 335, pi. 409 (1878) ; Ayres, 



Ibis, 1885, p. 349 ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p, 156 (1896) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. 



M. xxvi, p. 29 (1898) ; Woodward Bros. Natal B. p. 192 (1899) ; 



Alexander, Ibis, 1900, p. 439. 



Falcinellus falcinellus, Sharpe, ed. Layard' s B. S. Afr. p. 741 (1884). 

 Plegadis autumnalis, Beichenoiv, Vog. Afr. i, p. 329 (1901). 



Description. Adult in non-breeding plumage. General colour 

 above black with purple, green and bronzy metallic sheen ; the 

 green chiefly on the wing-quills and primary coverts, the purple on 

 the inner secondaries, the copper on the scapulars and lesser wing- 

 coverts ; head and neck all round streaked with blackish and 

 whitish, lower part of the neck and upper mantle, breast and most 

 of the under parts maroon ; under wing- and tail-coverts and 

 axillaries black, with green and purple metallic reflections. 



Iris brown ; bill and legs dark brownish-olive. Length about 

 18-0 ; wing 10-0 ; tail 3-25 ; culmen 4-5 ; tarsus 315 ; middle toe 

 and claw 2-75. 



In the breeding plumage the head and neck all round are deep 

 maroon chestnut, and the forehead and fore part of the crown 

 glossy green. The female resembles the male but is slightly 

 smaller ; a young bird has no maroon at all ; the general colour 

 above is metallic, with more green and less purple and copper, the 

 head and neck are dark brown, striped with white, and the breast 

 and under parts ashy-brown without white striping. 



