WHITE IBIS. 401 



FAMILY I. IBIDID^E. THE IBISES AND SPOONBILLS. 



Bill, at least twice as long as the head and grooved throughout. Furcula, short, well 

 arched, not projected backward, nor approximating very closely to the tip of keel. Mar- 

 ijinal indentations, four. 



The head is more or less naked in adult specimens. The treachea is flattened through- 

 out and the larynx is about normal and provided with a thin bronchialis. The stomach is 

 muscular, and there are two small cceca. Members of this family are widely distributed 

 throughout the world, occurring mainly, however, in the Tropics. The young are covered 

 with down at birth, but are comparatively helpless and are feed by regurgitation. 



GENUS I. IBIS. THE IBISES. 



GEN. Cu. Bill, longer than head, quite slender, not expanded at tip, and well-curved downward. Stemo-treachealu, 

 present. Webs between toes, small. 



The larynx is normal in position. The intestines are large and short. Sexes, similar. There are two species within 



our limits. 



IBIS ALBA. 



White Ibis. 



Ibis alba VIEILL., Orn. Diet.; 181B. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Si-. On. Form, robust. Size, medium. Tongue, short, '35 long, somewhat fleshy, and narrowing gradually to tip 

 which is rounded. 



COLOR. Adult. Head, naked beyond eyes. Pure white throughout, with the four outer primaries tipped with block 

 glossed with green. Bill, naked space about head, and feet, bright yellow. Iris, pale blue. 



Youny. Above, and on head and nock, dark-brown glossed with greenish on the former and streaked on the two latter 

 with ashy. Lower back, rump, upper tail coverts, and lower portions, white. Head, feathered to eyes. Bill, naked space 

 about head, and legs, brownish-yellow. Iris, brown. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



There are all gradations in plumage between the adult nnd young, specimens being frequently mhttled with white o- 

 bove. Readily known in the adult stage by the curved bill and pure white colors, and in the young stage by the white IXJH- 

 terior portions above. Distributed, in summer, from the Carolinas, southward; wintering in Florida. Stragglers occasion- 

 ally wander north, even as far as New England. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from Florida. Length, 24'50; stretch, 37'35; wing, H'25; tail, 4'30; bill, 5-20; 

 tarsus, 3'70. Longest specimen, 27'50; greatest extent of wing, 33'50; longest wing, 11'75; tail, 4 70; bill, 6'05; tursus, 

 430. Shortest specimen, 21'50; smallest extent of wing, 36'25; shortest wing, 10-50; tail, 3'90; bill, 4'35; tarsus, 3" 15. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Wests, placed on trees or bushes and composed of sticks, somewhat loosely arranged. Eyys, two or three in number, 

 oval in form, ashy-blue in color, spotted and blotched irregularly with reddish-brown of varying shades. Dimensions from 

 1-40x2-15 to l-5x2-40. 



II A HITS. 



The great strong-hold of the White Ibises in Florida, is the marshes which lie on both 

 sides of the upper St. John's, above Lake George. Here the level country stretches out 

 on either hand as far as the eye can reach, but as it is nearly always inundated, leaving 

 only the grass-tops exposed, or wide-spread, muddy flats, which are so soft that they will 

 not bear the weight of a man, this section is nearly or quito inaccessible. This prooves 

 fortunate for the birds, and Herons and Ibises frequent this section in numbers which :ip- 

 pcar astonishing to one who is not accustomed to seeing a large number of birds together; 

 for they gather in tlocks of hundreds of thousands, fairly darkening (lie air \\hen they rise. 



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