132 IBIS. 



the age of the bird, is blackish green, tinged with purple; 

 the bare space from it to the eye is olive green, tinged with 

 grey; a furrow extends along each side of the bill. Iris, dark 

 brown; head on the crown and sides, deep greenish brown black, 

 glossed with metallic purple; the feathers are narrow and 

 pointed. Keck and nape, chin, throat, and breast, all deep 

 rich reddish brown. Back above, deep rich reddish brown; 

 below, blackish or brownish green, splendidly enlivened with 

 glittering shades of purple and green as seen in different lights. 

 The wings, which expand to the width of two feet nine 

 inches, have the first and fourth quill feathers equal in length, 

 the second and third longer, the longest in the wing, and of 

 mutual equal length. The wings underneath are dark brown. 

 Greater and lesser wing coverts, dark red brown, with bronzed 

 reflections of rich purple and green; primaries, dark brownish 

 black, tinged with green; tertiaries, dark red brown, with 

 brilliant green and purple reflections. The tail consists of 

 twelve feathers, slightly forked when closed; they are of a 

 blackish brown colour, richly tinted with iridescent purple 

 and green; under tail coverts, dark brown. The legs, rather 

 long and bare above the knees, are as the toes, blackish 

 green; claws, dusky olive brown, and not much bent, the 

 middle one brought to a sharp edge on the inside, and sometimes 

 slightly but irregularly serrated. 



There is little or no difference in the plumage of the male 

 and female, the latter is rather less; weight, about sixteen 

 ounces. 



The young have at first a brown down; afterwards, before 

 the first moult, the bill is greenish black, fading to brown 

 towards the tip, and about five inches in length. Head, 

 crown, neck on the back, and nape, pale brown, the feathers 

 margined with white, giving a spotted appearance. On the 

 throat are one or two narrow transverse bars, and a large 

 irregular spot of white on a brown ground; the feathers edged 

 with greenish reflections; breast on the upper part, brown, 

 with greenish reflections on the margins of the feathers; back, 

 glossy olive green, with faint changeable reflections of purple 

 red. Tail and upper tail coverts, dull dark reddish brown. 

 The whole plumage is at first without the glossy tints, which 

 gradually afterwards appear. Legs and toes, blackish green. 



