TJ/K WOOD IBIS, 



Th.-s.. curious f.-atli-r-. with theii light ;...li>),. !. .,.!!,, -,,!. , . rfbld I patty OOMBMl || 

 ili.- i:l<sygiMn.Murk "f 'I' 1 ' ' l |<>st : ""1 winjr*. ""! ill" pun- white of the neck a n< I a) x lonien. 

 The follow in- <l> ription of tin- l>inl and its habits is written l-\ ild. in th- " Minis of 



Austnli:i ' 



1'his beautiful Ibis lias n.\, r \.-t been discovered oat of Australia, over the whole of 

 which immense count r\ it is probably distribute!, as it is mon< abundant in certain localities 

 at ..ii.- -. -a son than at another : it> pivs, -t\, , -. in fact. ap|ienrs tode|N<nd UJHUI rrln tlirrthn nnaaon 

 !>. or In- not fa\onilili> to tin- increase of tin- lower animals u|*>ii which th-- vast hordes of this 

 hinl feed. After the sewn- drought of 1830, it wan in such abundance mi the Liverpool plain*. 

 that to compute tin- iiiMiiU-r in a single (lock was imi>ossiblc. It was also x.-i v numerous on 

 id.- -.-a-id'- ..f i !L- _!. .! I. i'.. ] ]..-..! range, inhabiting the oj>en downs and i!.>;>. p.-n t'n -uhii 1\ -uc-li 

 as were 8tu<l<l>-d with shallow lagoons, through which it would wade kin-*- -high in Nearch of 

 shfllfd inollu.sks, frogs, newts, and inHertit ; indcjx'ndfntly of the food I have mentioned, it 

 I'.-.'(N "ii u r nisshopp-t> Hid !';-' '- gi '. : il ;. Hit' n itivi - infomntl in. thai somattMl m:ni> 

 HMons claps**! without tht I'ii'i bdvg M n \V!,. i. . (haD, do - i' L'O : 'I'., u I Kit .-..initi \ 

 il pa.s,s ! !>...> 0MN Hoi exist ;i . .i-r OMlfl II the rent n- of Australia, tO iHdl '- 'I,. Ln.l 

 when it is not found in the located parts of the country ! We may reasonably suppose such 

 to be the case. 



" The Stniw-nei'ked ll>is walks over the surface of the ground in a very stately manner ; it 



[letvhes !:! I il\ OB '!<-. : iri Mi '''-. !.' 1- bott -:' - . ' ' I ttd -' I ikilu. ].:il li. n'..n \\ \\ li. n l.u_-.- 



IliH-ks :in- |.;i--in_- ov. -i the | lains, ;i1 one motiienl sliowing their white l>ri-a.st.s. :.n-l MI tli-- m-\t. 

 by a change in their ]msition, exhiliiting their dark -colored Iwu-ks and snow-white tails. I hiring 

 the large semicircular >\\e.-ps th. v take over the plains, and when ]M-rfonniiig a long flight, 

 th'-s ris.- to!.-iali|\ lii-li in the air ; I!P- li"l'- tl.-k ih< ti arrangf ih'-m-.-h .- in th<- form of a 

 figure or letter similar to that so frequently ol>s-rve<l in (lights of gi-~ ami ducks. 



"The note is a loud, hoaix-. croaking sound, which may U- heard at a considerable dis- 

 tance. When feeding in (locks they an* closely packi-d. and from the constant movement 

 of their bills and tails, the whole mass S...-IMS to !* in ]er|M-tual motion. In dis|M.sition this 

 bird is rather shy than otherw ise ; .still, with a very little care, numerous successful shots may 

 be made with an ordinary fowling-piece. 



"The sexes, when fully adult, exhibit the same )>eautiful metallic coloring of the plumage. 

 The female is, however, smaller, and has the straw-like appendages on the neck less prolonged 

 and less stout than in the mule. Ma tun- binls only have the whole of the head and back of 

 the neck quite bare of feathers." 



The coloring of the Straw-necked Ibis is very conspicuous, and the lines of demarcation 

 U-tween the different tints an- sharply drawn. The ln-ad and jtart of the neck an* deep 

 sooty-black, which suddenly changes into a beautiful white downy plumage, clothing the 

 remainder of the neck. From the fore part of the neck and throat hang a numU-r of delimte 

 fringe-like feathers. The whole of the upjHT surface is colored of a deep and glistening green- 

 black, "shot" with purple, and changing its tints at every variation of light. Irregular bars 

 of the same color as the head are drawn across the back, and the entire under surface is pun* 

 w h i te. During the life of this bird the thighs are slightly colored with crimson, but this tint ing 

 soon vanishes after death. 



WOOD IBIS (Tantalu* loculalor). This is a bird of considerable size for an Ibis. It 

 inhabits the South Atlantic and Gulf States; ranging north to Ohio, Illinois, and the Carolines; 

 southward, it reaches Cuba and South America. It in a remarkable and interesting bird. It 

 resembles a crane, being nearly four feet in length ; standing higher than that when erect. 

 It is pure white, with the tips of wings and the tail black. The adult bird has an entirely 

 bald head, and an enormously thick, heavy bill, t:i]M-ring and a little declined. 



In Florida it is absurdly called the (ran net, a term properly applied to a sea-bird. In 

 Colorado it is named Water Turkey. In Florida, on the Upper St. John's, it is quite common. 

 A large breeding-place is known on the l>orders of Luke .\-hley. in Florida. It is estimated 



that a thousand pairs breed there. Dr. Bryant, who visited this place, says: "I almost 

 voi. a -n. 



