128 



OROTTHOLOGIST 



[Yol. 12-1^0. 8 



ills being rarely seen. It also confines itself 

 more elosel}' to the pine woods than the other 

 species do, being seldom found in any other 

 situation. 



'J'he notes of this species are very similar to 

 that of the other, both a chip and a chatter be- 

 ing frequently heard. The song is, liovvever, 

 different, but not often heard. On April 1st I 

 came upon a good-sized flock in some mixed 

 woods (small pines predominating), in full 

 song; the only time I remember to have heard 

 it and I could not at first make up my mind 

 that the unusual melodj' proceeded from these 

 usually quiet little birds. 



The Wood Ibis in South Carolina. 



BY WAI.TKK IIOXIK, FliOGMORE, S. C, 



To the casual observer the Wood Ibis, oi- 

 *'Gannet" as it is here called, is a very conspic- 

 uous bii-(l in the southern parts of South (Jaro- 

 lina during the summer months. About the 

 coast islands they may be observed on nearly 

 every hot afternoon, sailing high in air with 

 outstretched legs and neck, now showing their 

 snowy white plumage and at the next turn pre- 

 senting the glossy black of the wings and tail 

 to view. IJut the ardent collector will see 

 them in many other positions, and among in- 

 teresting and peculiar surroundings. And truly 

 ardent n)ust tlie collector be who will success- 

 fully follow these big birds among all their 

 haunts and thoroughly study their habits in 

 this their summer vacation. 



The eai-ly sunbeams reach them perched on 

 the branches of some tall dead pine. One by 

 one the long, ungainly necks are stretched 

 aloft side ways and downwards; wings are 

 shaken and the whole party indulge in a gen- 

 eral limbering up. At last the old fellow on 

 the highest branch, after a succession of bal- 

 ances and squattings, as if uncertain of tlie 

 proper bearings, slioots out upon the air and 

 one after another the rest follow, those on the 

 lower limbs being the lust to leave. Away 

 they go over the rocks and pools searching for 

 a good feeding ground. Occasionally one who 

 thinks he has spied out a well-stocked ground 

 swings out from the party to reconnoitre. 

 Should this search prove successful, which is 

 signified by a series of delighted croaks, the 

 whole flock make haste to join him and for the 

 fish "trouble begins.'" The Ganuets dance 

 about in the shallow water until their prey is 

 suflbcated with the umd they stir up, and then 



proceed to breakfast. This "•dancing" seems 

 to be their only method of capturing prey and 

 their motions and expi-essions are ludicrous in 

 the extreme. The necks are all stretched 

 straight up and the bill elevated at a slight 

 angle. The faces all wear a care-worn ex- 

 pn!Ssion and the wings are constantly used 

 to aid in balancing while the big legs churn 

 rapidly up and down. The process is long or 

 short, accoi'ding to the number of birds and the 

 size of the pond. I have seen two birds at- 

 tempt to dance a pond of nearly an acre in 

 extent. They worked until exhausted, with- 

 out success, and at last after resting a while 

 departed in disgust to join some larger flock. 

 But as a rule half an hour or so serves to get 

 bieakfast. If not gorged at one spot the flock 

 repair to another, and it is not until thoroughly 

 satisfied that they all soar high aloft and wheel 

 in broad circles, as noted in the beginning of 

 this article. 



In the general scramble for breakfast, some 

 few do not succe<!d in getting their fair share 

 and while tlie rest are performing their grace- 

 ful aerial evolutions, these disconsolate, hungry 

 scnils are moving rapidly about among the 

 smaller puddles, doing their best to "splice out 

 their bellj' timber."' This is the collector's last 

 chance to obtain specimens. Th<>se unsatisfied 

 birds "store" well — indeed eagerly. A raiser- 

 able "rag baby" aftair filled with moss and 

 propped with a stick often proves a lure for 

 three or four of them on a hot noon tide. I 

 know of nothing like it to tax the patience and 

 nerve of a man. Hidden in a clump of dense 

 marsh grass, no breath of air can reach you; 

 the air flickers with heat and the sand fles run 

 riot over hands and face; no sound but the 

 trickling of water and the splashing of fish in 

 the pool before you. Once in a while a heron, 

 or jierhaps a whole flock of them, tops the 

 marsh and are down again out of sight. At 

 last a Gannet just shows himself and then 

 wheels away. Will he come? No, he is get- 

 ting farther off. You make a savage onslaught 

 on the sand flies and think, or if 5'ou are 

 that kind of a man, say some bad things, pull 

 your feet out of the mud and try to change 

 your cramped position. The first thing then is 

 a swerve of mighty wings on the right and 

 down pops one of your expected birds right 

 beside your stool. Eights in the neck or dou- 

 ble B right at him secures your prize, but don't 

 try to pick him up. The shot has probably 

 scared others that were feeding near at hand 

 and your chances are good for one or two 

 more in a few minutes. 



