THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 457 



259. Glossy Ibis [BRAUNER IBIS]. 

 IBIS FALCINELLUS, Vieillot. 1 



Ibis falcinellus. Naumann, viii. 539. 



Glossy Ibis. Dresser, vi. 335. 



Ibis falcinelle. Temminck, Manuel, ii. 598, iv. 389. 



Many years ago a beautiful old bird of this species was shot 

 here, and I entertain scarcely any doubt that it was this same 

 ' splendid specimen ' (Pracktexemplar) mentioned by Naumann as 

 obtained from the North Sea, from which that author drew up 

 his description and picture of this species ; the time of the record 

 viz. the summer of 1824, so far as one can reckon back agrees 

 exactly with what is stated as to its occurrence on this island. 



The individual in question was captured by Oelrich Aeuckens, 

 the oldest of the three brothers, now unhappily long since deceased, 

 under the following circumstances : For several days in the course 

 of July a small band of Curlews (Numenius arquata) had taken 

 up their quarters on the small sand-flats at the foot of the cliff', 

 without Oelrich commonly called Oelk being able to get within 

 shooting range of them. By reason of his being constantly on the 

 lookout for them, he had, however, got to know the spot which the 

 birds were specially partial to ; he therefore crept into one of the 

 many small recesses in the cliff close by, and built up the entrance 

 to this recess in such a manner as to leave only room for the barrel 

 of his gun. The afternoon was hot, and the coolness of the damp 

 grotto, combined with a certain amount of ennui on the part of 

 our somewhat phlegmatic old friend, had the effect of lulling him 

 very soon into a gentle slumber. How long this lasted he couldn't 

 tell ; but on awakening, as it gradually began to dawn upon him 

 where he actually was and what was his object in being there, he saw 

 the whole company of Curlews running about ' like domestic fowls ' 

 in front of him at a short range. Having waited till he thought he 

 had as many of the birds as possible within aim, he fired off his 

 primitive musket, and found that he had felled five of them, of 

 which one, to his great astonishment, was ' blood-red ' on the neck 

 and all the lower parts. Now by 'blood-red' ('blood-road'), the 

 ornithologists of Heligoland not only understand the beautiful 

 carmine on the breast of the male Linnet, but also the rust-red 

 colour of the Bar-tailed Godwit, the Knot, and other similar species. 

 If a particular example of this kind happens to be very dark and 

 rich in colour, and is considered very handsome, it is invariably 



1 Plegadis falcinellus (Linn.). 



