' i nis. 



509 



snit.-d for t,-.,rin- to pieces the substances <.n which th.- l.inl f.<.-d*. It color i* brown, 

 m..ttl.il profusely with a d.-ep mahoirmy tin---. Hie general color ..f the plumage in 

 daty-grey above, each feather being edged with a narrow kind of grayish whit,- The feath-r* 

 of ill.- front ..f tii,. neck are pointed, very dark in Uie centra, and broadly edged with gray. 

 The under .-u i face is gray. 



IBIS. 



'I'll' s \' i:n' hiii N one .,f a rathei curious group of l>iid-. \Vitl, , \,-.-|,ii,,n th--\ ar.- 



BOtpoaeeMwl f lirilliant rol,,riii-. tli- f.-atli.i^ U in- m,,Ml\ \\liit.- and i>*'p piirj.li.sh blade. 

 The Scarl.-t Il>i-. liou. :l most inaKnili< nt. tlnMi^li not very huge bird, it.s pluinap- ' 



of a glowing Boarl.'t. n-1 invert by a f- pat.-li.--. <.f Mark. 



Th.> Sacred Ibis IB 00 called because it figures hugely in an evidently sacred character on 

 the hieroglyphs of ancient Kgypt It is a migratory bird, arriving in Egypt as soon an the 



SACBVD una. -/MI 



waters of the Nile Ix-idn to rise, and remaining in that land until the wat*n have rnibnided, 

 and therefor* dnprm-d it <>f its daily siij,|,li,-s ( ,f fixxl. Tlu- bird i>rK-il>ly OWHH its sacred 

 character to tin- fart that its a|i|-arano- .l.-r.ott-. th.' rininj; <if fh.- Nil-. an annual p)i<-ii<>ni>-iii>ii 

 on which depends the properity of tin- \vlnil.- rmintry. 



ini.-s th- Il>i< stalks in M.litary state al..ng the banknof th- ri\.-r. or tin- many watT- 

 that int-rs.-<-t tin- low country, but .son i> -times associates in liltl.- flockx of fight or fen 

 in nunilH-r. Its food ronsists mostly of inolbisks, iK.th t.-rn-strial and aquatic, but it will nat 

 wonii-. inserts, and j.n.bal.ly th.- sinall.-r n-ptil.-i. 'Hi.- II. is was at one time thought to kill 

 and .sit snakes, and this i.l'-.i iiirtlien.-d by th' fact that Cnvi.-r d.-tM-ti-<l tin- M-al.>* ami 



bon.-s of snaki-s within a mummied corpse of an Ibi* which was found in tin- tmtM of Egj'pt, 

 and wliidi is known to l- i.l.-nti. ,,| with the present species. Recent specimens, however, 

 seldom contain anything but nillnsks and insects. 



'Ph.- walk of the Ibis is quiet and d.'liU-nite, though it can get <>V<T tin- irnmnd with con- 

 edderable *\*v<\ whenever it cliLM.s, s . Iu flight is lofty and strong, and th<- l.inl hao a habit 



