IBIDID.E — THE IBISES — EUDOCIMUS. 



87 



edge convex. Anterior hall" of the head bare (in the adnlt) iiicliuUng the Ibrelieail, lores, orbital 

 and malar ii'gions, chin, and more or less of the throat ; in the young, tliia bare nkin more 

 ivstiictL'd. Feathers of the head and neck den.fc but rather soft, with rathur distinct outlines, 

 lull with Honiewhat truncated tiiw. Primaries uxtendinj,' a little 1 eyond the tcrtials, the second 

 and third ([uills li)nj,'est and nearly eiiual, lirst a little shorter tliau the fourth j inner webs of 

 (inter four slightly sinuated toward their ends. 



Synopsis of Species. 



1. B. ruber. Adult: Ends of several outer primaries glossy blue-black; rest of pluningc 



entirely uniform rich pun; scarlet, the shafts of the primaries white, as far as the black 

 tii)s. Bill dusky or reddish ; bare skin of head pinkish, or lake-red ; legs and feet ret). 

 Young: Dark brownish gray, the Ixdly white. Wing, 10.80-11.00; tail, 4.10-4.80; 

 culmen, fi.(KMi.,')0 ; depth of bill, .70 ; tai'sus, 3.70-3.80 ; nnddle toe, 2.r).")-2.()0. Hnh. 

 Tropical America, on the Atlantic side; accidental (( ) in Loui.siana and Texas. 



2. B. albuB. Ends of several outer primaries glos.sy greenish black ; rest of plumage entirely 



pure white. Bill, naked portion of head, legs, and feet, reddish (pale yellowish in dried 

 skins); iris pale blue. Yonmj : Uniform grayish brown, the rump, base of tail, and 

 under parts white ; head and neck streaked with white and grayish, the former feath- 

 ered nearly to the bill. Wing, 10..30-11.7r) ; tail, 4.(H)-.").00 ; culmen, 4.1.5-(i.30 ; depth 

 of bill, .()0-.72; tar.sus, 3.10-4.00; middle toe, 2.1.')-2.70. Hah.: Southern States, 

 north, casually, to Connet'ticut, Eastern Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Utah ; south to 

 Brazil and throughout West Indies. 



EudocimuB ruber. 



THE SCABLET IBIS. 



Tantalus ruber, LiNN. S. N. I. i7C>(], 241, no. 5. — Wir.soN. Am. Orn. VIII. 1814, 41, \A. Ixvi. 



Eiidocimiis ruber, yVAnu, Isis, 1832, 1232. — Kinow. .Vom. N. Am. li. 1882, no. 502. — CorEs, 

 Check -List, 2a cd. 1882, no. 6',2. 



Scnfoprix rubra, .Scoroi.i, Bcincrk. od. Cliintli. 1770, 106, no. 130. 



Ihis rubra, ViEii.i.. Nouv. Diet. XVI. 1817, 22. — NriT. Man. II. 1834, 84. — AuD. Om. Biog. V. 

 1839, 62 ; Synop. 1839, 2.')7 ; Birds Am. VI. 1843, 53, pi. 359 (adult and young). —Cassin, in 

 Baird's Birds N. Am. 1858, 683. — Baiud, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 498. — Coumcs, Key, 1872, 

 204; Check List, 1873, no. 447. — Scl. & Sai.v. Noni. Neotr. 1873, 126. — BoucAUi), Catal. 

 Av. 1876, 48, no. 1337. 



Ilab. — Chiefly the northern .shores of South America, but also occurs .sjiaringly among the 

 West Indian Ishmds and on the Gulf Coast of Middle America; accidental (/) in Louisiana and 

 Southern Te.\as. 



Sp. Char. — Adult: Ends of the four outer primaries glos.sy blue-black, with a steel-blue 

 reflection; rest of the plumage entirely uniform rich ]>ure scarlet, the shafts of the primaries, 

 as far as the bhick tips, pure white. Bill grayish-black ;i bare skin of the head pale lake-red 

 or ])inkish; legs and feet red. Young: Brownish gray, much darker than in E. alius; abdomen 

 white. 



Length, about 28.00-30.00 ; expanse, 40.00-45.(H) ; wing, 10.80-11.00; tail, 4.10-4.80 ; cidnien, 

 fi.0()-6.,')0 ; depth of bill, .70 ; tarsus, 3.7(V3.80 ; middle toe, 2..55-2.60 ; bare portion of tibio, 

 2.00-2.40. 



The scarlet color of this splendid binl is probably not exceeded in purity and intensity. It is, 

 in fact, the very perfection of that color. It far surpasses the red of any Passerine bird known to 

 us, even the plumage of the Scarlet Tanager (Pijranga ndmi) appearing dull and harsh beside it. 



The black tips of the primaries do not always end abruptly, but in some specimens this color 



' Audubon describes the bill ns "pale lake." This, however, is not the case with any specimens 

 which we have examined. He also says that the ijuills are iohite — an evident mistake, the sliafts of the 

 quills having no doubt been meant. 



