126 IBISES. 



shores both on the seacoast and in the interior. They are generally 

 found in flocks and they nest in colonies. Spoonbills have the gen- 

 eral habits of Herons, but feed by immersing the bill and swinging it 

 from side to side in their search for food. 



183. Ajaja ajaja (Linn.}. ROSEATE SPOONBILL; PINK CURLEW. 

 (See Fig. 21.) Ad. Head and throat bare, neck and upper back white, some- 

 times tinged with pink ; sides of the breast in front of the wings and end half 

 of tail ochraceous-bulf ; rest of plumage pink ; lengthened feathers at the base 

 of the neck darker; lesser wing-coverts, upper and under tail-coverts car- 

 mine. Im. Similar, but head and throat feathered, ochraceous-buff and car- 

 mine of the adult replaced by pink. L., 32-00 ; W., 14-50 ; Tar., 4-00 ; B., 6-25. 



Range. Tropical and subtropical America north to the Gulf States. 

 Nest, a platform of sticks in mangrove bushes or small trees. JZyys, three 

 to five, white, spotted and speckled with shades of olive-brown, 2-57 x 1-73. 



This was formerly a common species in Florida, but continued 

 persecution has so reduced its numbers that during four winters 

 passed in different parts of the State I did not observe it. It nests in 

 January and February in the extreme southern part of the State, and 

 after the nesting season wanders northward. On the Texas coast it is 

 more numerous. 



FAMILY IBIDID^S. IBISES. 



Ibises are distributed throughout the warmer parts of the globe ; 

 they number about thirty species, of which four occur in North Amer- 

 ica. They are silent birds, and live in flocks during the entire year. 

 They feed along the shores of lakes, bays, and salt-water lagoons, and 

 on mud flats over which the tide rises and falls. Their food consists 

 principally of crustaceans, frogs, and small fish. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



A. Plumage deep chestnut 186. GLOSSY IBIS. 



B. Plumage scarlet 185. SCARLET IBIS (Ad.). 



C. Plumage white 184. WHITE IBIS (Ad.). 



D. Back brown, belly white. 



a. Kump white 184. WHITE IBIS (Im.). 



b. Kump like the back 185. SCARLET IBIS (Im.). 



184. Guara alba (Linn.}. WHITE IBIS; SPANISH CURLEW (see Fig. 20). 

 Ad. White, the tips of the four outer primaries black-; bare parts of the head 

 orange-red. Im. Head and neck white, streaked with grayish brown ; upper 

 back and wings grayish brown; rump, breast, and belly white. L., 25-00; 

 W., 11-00 ; Tan, 3-40 ; B. from K, 4-60. 



Range. Tropical America; breeds as far north as southern Indiana, 

 southern Illinois, and South Carolina; winters from the Gulf southward. 

 Long Island, A. V. 



