320 THE GLOSSY-IBIS 



THE GLOSSY IBIS 



[F. C. R JOURDAIN] 



The glossy- ibis resembles our common -starling in the fact that 

 when viewed from some distance it appears to be clad in sober black, 

 but at close quarters reveals unsuspected variety and beauty of colour- 

 ing. In general appearance it shows a striking resemblance to the 

 curlew, so that the name of " black curloo " or " curlew," by which it is 

 known to the marshmen of East Anglia, is so descriptive that no one 

 who knows both birds by sight could fail to recognise this species at 

 once on first hearing the name. As far as we know, it was never more 

 than an occasional visitor to us, though no doubt it occurred more fre- 

 quently before the colonies in the Rhone delta were broken up. 



My first acquaintance with this bird dates back to 1906, when on a 

 visit to the marismas of the Gaudalquivir. The previous season had 

 been one of exceptional drought, and vast expanses which in a normal 

 spring are covered with a foot or two of water were then nothing but 

 miles of sun-cracked mud. Even this year there was less water than 

 usual, but still there was enough to encourage the water-birds to breed. 

 In the preceding year most of them had abandoned the idea 

 altogether, and the teeming bird colonies, or "pajareras" were lifeless 

 and deserted, but this year the continual flights of little-egrets, buff- 

 backed-herons, and other species showed that nesting was in progress 

 at no great distance. Huge rolling hills of loose sand, ever drifting 

 with the wind and encroaching on the mud-flats, shut in the view on 

 the left: in front of us were some acres of tamarisk scrub in the 

 distance, and to the right, beyond the shallow water which covered the 

 mud-flats of the previous season, one could distinguish in the distance 

 the course of the great river, with here and there a boat or river 

 steamer slowly moving along. As we approached the bushes we could 



