SPECIES 2. TANTALUS RUBER, 



SCARLET IBIS. 

 [Plate LX VI. Fig. 2.] 



Le Courii rouge du llresil, BRISS. v,p. 344, 12, jig. 1, 2. BUFF. 

 vin, p. 35. Red Curlew, CATESBY, i, 84. LATH, in, p. 106. 

 rfrct. Zool, JVo. 361. PEALE'S Museum, JVo. 3864, 3865 Fe- 

 male.* 



THIS beautiful bird is found in the most southern parts of 

 Carolina; also in Georgia and Florida, chiefly about the seashore 

 and its vicinity. In most parts of America within the tropics, 

 and in almost all the West India islands it is said to be common; 

 also in the Bahamas. Of its manners little more has been col- 

 lected than that it frequents the borders of the sea and shores 

 of the neighbouring rivers, feeding on small fry, shell fish, sea 

 worms and small crabs. It is said frequently to perch on trees, 

 sometimes in large flocks; but to lay its eggs on the ground on 

 a bed of leaves. The eggs are described as being of a greenish 

 colour; the young when hatched black, soon after gray, and be- 

 fore they are able to fly white, continuing gradually to assume 

 their red colour until the third year, when the scarlet plumage 

 is complete. It is also said that they usually keep in flocks, the 

 young and old birds separately. They have frequently been 

 domesticated. One of them which lived for some time in the 

 Museum of this city, was dexterous at catching flies, and most 

 usually walked about, on that pursuit, in the position in which 

 it is represented in the plate. 



We add the following synonymes: Tantalus Ruber, LATH. Ind. Orn. p. 703, 

 No. 2. T./uscus, Id. p. 705, No. 8. GMEL. Syst. i, p. 651, No. 5, No. 7. Le 

 Ccurly brun du Bresil, BRISS. v, p. 341. Brown Curlew, CATESBY, i, 83, 

 Young. Courly rouge du Bresil, de Vuge de deux <ms, PI Enl. 80. Id. de Vagc 

 detroisans, 31. 





