GLOSSY IBIS. 609 



flats which are occasionally flooded over ; feeding on small 

 reptiles, the fry of fishes, small Crustacea, aquatic insects, 

 worms, and other soft-bodied animals. The eggs are of a 

 very delicate pale blue, two inches in length by one inch 

 and five-tenths in breadth, and rather pear-shaped, like 

 those of the Curlew and Whimbrel. Montagu says that 

 it builds in trees ; but for this, though very probable, no 

 authority is named. 



In the adult bird the beak is dark purple brown, the lore 

 and the naked skin around the eyes olive green, tinged with 

 grey ; the irides hazel ; the head, the neck all round, and 

 the interscapulars, deep reddish brown ; wing-coverts and 

 tertials dark maroon brown with brilliant green and purple 

 reflections; wing-primaries dark brownish black, tinged 

 with green ; tail-feathers brownish black, tinged with 

 purple ; breast, sides, and belly, deep reddish brown, like 

 the neck ; the under surface of the wings, the flanks and 

 under tail-coverts, dark brown ; the legs and toes green, 

 the claws olive brown. 



The whole length of the bird is about twenty-two 

 inches. From the carpal joint to the end of the wing 

 ten inches and three-quarters ; the first and fourth quill- 

 feathers equal in length, but shorter than the second and 

 third, which are also equal in length and the longest in the 

 wing. 



In young birds the head, cheeks, and upper part of the 

 neck behind are dull clove brown, intermixed with short 

 hair-like streaks of greyish white ; on the throat in front, 

 one and sometimes more patches of dull greyish white, 

 placed rather transversely ; the whole of the body above 

 and below, the wings and the tail, dull uniform liver 

 brown, with very little of the glossy tints observable in 

 older birds, which are obtained gradually. 



VOL. II. R R 



