648 EEPOKT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



been this bird. He also writes that Mr. Balmer, a florist and taxider- 

 mist at Vincennes, had sent to him, in 1892, a live "Wood Ibis, which 

 had been caught in a trap on Little Swan Pond, Knox County. After 

 a day or two it escaped. 



"The Wood Ibis is a remarkable and interesting bird. In its gen- 

 eral size, shape and color, it might be likened to a crane, being about 

 four feet long, and standing still higher when erect; white in color, 

 with black-tipped wings and back tail. The head is peculiar, being 

 entirely bald in the adult bird, and having an enormously thick, 

 heavy bill, tapering and a little decurved at the end. In Florida it is 

 sometimes called the 'Gannet/ On the Colorado it is known as the 

 Water Turkey. The carriage of the Wood Ibis is firm and sedate, 

 almost stately; each leg is slowly lifted and planted with deliberate 

 precision before the other is moved, when the birds walk unsuspicious 

 of danger. I never saw one run rapidly, since on all the occasions, 

 when I have been the cause of alarm, the bird took wing directly. It 

 springs powerfully from the ground, bending low to gather strength, 

 and for a little distance flaps hurriedly with dangling legs, as if it was 

 much exertion to lift so heavy a body. But fairly on wing, clean of all 

 obstacles, the flight is firm, strong and direct, performed with con- 

 tinuous, moderately rapid beats of the wing, except when the birds are 

 sailing in circles, as above noted. When proceeding in a straight line 

 the feet are stretched horizontally backward, but the head is not drawn 

 closely in upon the breast, as is the case with Herons, so that the bird 

 presents what may be called a top-heavy appearance, increased by the 

 thick, large bill. 



"The eggs of the Wood Ibis are like Herons', in being nearly ellip- 

 soidal, but differ from them, as well as those of the Bay Ibis, in color, 

 which is uniform dull white, without markings. The shell is rather 

 rough to the touch, with a coating of softish, flaky, calcareous sub- 

 stance. A specimen that I measured was exactly 2f inches in length 

 by If in breadth. Two or three are said to be a nest complement/' 

 (Dr. Coues, Birds N". W., p. 513.) 



SUBORDER HERODIL HERONS, EGRETS, BITTERNS, ETC. 

 XIV. FAMILY ARDEID^E. HERONS, BITTERNS, ETC. 



a 1 . Tail feathers, 10, very short; outer toe shorter than inner. 



6 1 . Wing over 10. BOTAURUS. 32 



ft 2 . Wing under 10. ARDETTA. 33 



a 2 . Tail feathers, 12, rather long; outer toe not shorter than inner. 



