IBIS. GRALLATORES. IBIS. 57 



Tantalus viridis, Gmel. Syst. 1. 848 Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. ) 



707. 15. > Young. 



Green Ibis, Lath. Syn. 5. 114. 13. J 



Tantalus igneus, Gmel. Syst. 1. 649 Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 708. 16. 



Glossy Ibis, Lath. Syn. 5. 115. 14 Lewin's Br. Birds, 4. pi. 152. .Mow*. 



Ornith. Diet, and Sup Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 13. Bewick's Sup. to 



the Birds. 



Brazilian Curlew, Nat. Miscell. 17- 705. 



THIS resplendent bird (for so it may with propriety be call- Occasional 

 ed, from the metallic lustre which gilds the greater part of its V1S1 

 plumage) is occasionally driven from its direct course to our 

 shores, during its periodical autumnal migrations from the 

 northern part of the European continent, to which great 

 bodies of them annually resort to breed and pass the summer 

 months. At the period of the first publication of Dr LA- 

 THAM'S works, it seems to have been of very rare occurrence 

 in Britain, or had perhaps escaped observation, from the 

 small degree of previous attention bestowed on the subject 

 of natural history. Since the appearance, however, of his 

 Index Ornithologicus and General Synopsis, many speci- 

 mens have been noticed, and scarcely a year passes without 

 mention of one or more of these birds being taken. From 

 the change undergone in plumage from the young to the ma- 

 ture state, this Ibis has, by GMELIN, LATHAM, and other 

 writers, been described under different specific names. Our 

 countryman MONTAGU (whose attention was particularly di- 

 rected to this interesting subject), appears to have been the 

 first to detect and point out the identity of these supposed 

 species ; and he has, at considerable length, and with great 

 clearness, elucidated its history in the valuable Supplement 

 to his Ornithological Dictionary, under our present specific 

 title. The geographical distribution of this bird is very 

 wide, and embraces the greater part of the ancient world. 

 In Europe (where it is periodically visitant, residing during 

 the summer season), it is found in all the continental parts, 

 as far north as Sweden, Norway, and (according to WAGLEE), 

 Iceland ; but its longitudinal flight does not spread so far 

 to the westward as our islands. In Asia it is very common, 



