160 NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



although Hermopolis was the patron city of the bird, as Buto of the kestrel and other 

 hawks, we find it also among the tombs of Thebes and Memphis. No doubt the 

 white ibis was imported into Italy and kept about the temples of Isis. It was the 

 emblem of Thoth, the scribe or secretary of Osiris, whose duty it is to write down 

 and recount the deeds of the deceased ; in consequence the bird is constantly seen on 

 the ancient monuments under various forms." 



The sacred ibis inhabits tropical Africa down to the Transvaal ; a very near ally, 

 I. bernieri, is peculiar to Madagascar, while another, also very closely related form, /. 

 strictipennis, inhabits Australia and several of the Moluccan islands. 



In regard to the habits of this famous bird, the " well-known portrait of which 

 greets us ever welcome every quarter," we make the following abstracts from 

 the account of Dr. R. Vierthaler, who had rich opportunities for studying these birds 

 in their native haunts. "In the beginning of September they build, in the neighbor- 

 hood of Khartum, their nests on the mimosas which stand in the middle of the inun- 

 dated marshes, twenty to thirty on a single tree. The nest is more or less skilfully 

 made, of the size of that of the rook, and woven together of coarse twigs, with an 

 inner layer of fine grass and a few feathers. The eggs, which are of a greenish white, 

 are generally three rarely four in number, and the size that of the mallard. It only 

 breeds once a year, but does not confine itself strictly to one quite fixed time, as I 

 found young ones in November of the same size as those taken in the latter part of 

 September, and it is not probable that this was caused by any disturbance during the 

 breeding, since the nests are nearly inaccessible, small boats being entirely wanting. 

 In freedom the ibis shows a considerable cunning, and is so shy that the hunter can- 

 not creep up to it, and almost always follows it in vain. It does not show any fear at 

 all for the natives, and I saw it often among the cattle, quite regardless of the shep- 

 herd or any other black man who happened to be quite near. The flesh of the young 

 as well as the old birds is savory and tender, and when well prepared it is a great 

 dainty. The old Egyptians do not appear to have been acquainted with this fact, or 

 they would not probably have embalmed them." 



The extent of the feathering on the head and neck is very variable in the ibises, 

 and numerous generic appellations have been created in consequence. In other 

 respects the group is rather homogeneous, and few striking abnormalities can be 

 recorded. A curious modification of the feathers is found in the straw-throated ibis 

 ( Carphibis spinicollis) from Australia, which has the feathers of the front of the neck 

 and breast changed into stiff and blunt spines, which in appearance and color are 

 surprisingly like short bits of straw hanging down over the breast in front. Both 

 males and females are said to possess this ornament, and, in fact, the sexes are similar 

 in all these birds. 



We have already, in the introduction (p. 9), alluded to the fact that the two alleged 

 species of the genus d-uara^ the white and the scarlet ibises, are structurally identical, 

 only differing in coloration as indicated by the names. The scarlet species is a native 

 of northeastern South America, and has only been reported as seen, but not obtained, 

 within our fauna. On account of the brilliancy and pureness of its red color, it is one 

 of the most beautiful water-birds, and as it bears the captivity quite well, it is often 

 kept in the zoological gardens. Here, however, the scarlet coloration soon gives way 

 to a regular rosy tint. 



Only one species, namely the glossy ibis (Plegadis autumnalis), is distributed over 

 all the warmer regions of the globe. Like its congeners it has nearly the whole head 



