584 IBIS 



IBIS, Cuvier, 1817. 



814. SACRED IBIS. 

 IBIS JETHIQFICA. 



Ibis cethiopica (Lath.), Ind. Orn. ii. p. TOG (1790) ; Shelley, B. of Egypt, 

 p. 261 ; Dresser, ix. p. 285, pi. 694 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxvi. 

 p. 4 ; I. religiosa, Cuv. Kegne An. i. p. 483 (1817). 



Naadje, Abu-Quadum, Arab. ; Abu-Hanncs, Egypt ; Schoorstein- 

 veger, Dutch in S. Africa. 



$ ad. (Transvaal). General plumage white except the tips of the 

 primaries and outer secondaries, which are black, glossed with metallic 

 green ; inner secondaries elongated, lax, on the basal portion bluish grey, and 

 on the terminal portion black glossed with purple, forming a plume which 

 covers the tail ; head and neck bare, dull black ; beak and legs black ; iris 

 brown. Culmen 7*0, wing 15 '4, tail 6*3, tarsus 4*0 inch. Female rather 

 smaller, the plumes duller. The young bird has the head and neck covered 

 with short black and white feathers. 



Hob. Africa south to the Cape ; Algeria and Egypt rarely 

 is said to have occurred in the Caucasus ; Southern Persia. 



The Sacred Ibis is very cautious and wary and is generally 

 to be seen in small companies. Its food consists of insects of 

 various kinds, frogs, lizards, and snakes. Its call-note is said 

 to be harsh, resembling that of Ardea His. It nests on trees, 

 constructing a simple nest of coarse twigs lined with grass and 

 a few feathers, and lays 3 to 4, seldom 5, eggs, which are white 

 with a bluish tinge, sparingly marked with brown, and measure 

 about 2-5 by 1-6. 



815. WHITE IBIS. 

 IBIS MELANOCEPHALA. 



Ibis melanocephala (Lath.), Ind. Orn. ii. p. 709 (1790) ; David and Oust. 

 Ois. Chine, p. 452 ; Seebohm, B. Jap. Emp. p. 232 ; Sharpe, Cat. 

 B. Br. Mus. xxvi. p. 7 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iv. p. 361 ; J. 

 propinqua, Swinh. P.2.S. 1870, p. 428 ; Blakist. and Pryer, B. Jap 

 p. 117. 



Munda, Didhar, Hindu. ; Tatu-kcika, Cing. ; Kaynsoti, Burm. ; 

 Kuro-toki, Kama-sagi, Nabe-kdburi, Jap. 



ad. Differs from /. cetliiopica in breeding-dress in having the pri- 

 maries white, sometimes edged or mottled with brown, and not tipped 

 with black, having elongate white feathers round the base of the neck and 



