98 



ALTIUCIAL GRALLATORES — IIERODIOXES. 



Young, first year: Heuil, iiuck, and lowci' imrts an in tliu lust, l)Ut upper parts and under side of 

 the wiujj uuit'orm, contiiuiuus bronzy gnen, with little, if any, admixture of purple or violet shades. 



No chestnut on the lesser wing-coverts! Bill, pale greenish horn-ltlne, lilackish terminal'/ and 

 dusky basally ; iris, "hazel ;" k'j;s ami feet, dee[) black (= F. thalassiiius, RiuciWAv).* 



Downy yuunri : Bill light yellowish, the base, end, and band around the middle deep black ; 

 lores blackish ; legs and feet black. Forehead black, bounded posteriorly by a crescentic patch of 

 dull, silvery white, extending from eye to eye, across the posterior portion of the crown ; the line 

 of demarcation between the white and black being somewhat mi.xed or sull'used with light rufous. 

 Rest of head, neck, and lower parts covered with soft downy feathers of a uniform brownish gray 

 shade, without any whitish streaks on head or neck. Partially complete plumage of the upper 

 surface entirely uniform, continuous bron/.e-green, or metallic bottle-green, without the slightest 

 admixture anywhere of purple, blue, or violet. 



Length, about l!).(H)-:20.(i(» ; expanse, 3(Mt()-4(t.()<) ; wing, !).3()-l().8() ; tail, 3.50-5.00; culmen, 

 3.75-().(K) ; depth of bill, .5()-.(!0; tarsus, 3.00-4.40 ; middle toe, 2.10-2.85 ; bare portion of tibia, 

 1.50-2.75 2 



According to Dr. J. ('. Merrill (Proc. U. S. Xat. Mus. Vol. I. p. 103), " The young, when first 

 hatched, are clothed in blackish down ; the bill i.s whitish, with dusky base. When nearly Hedged, 

 the wings and back have a very marked metallic lustre ; the liase nf bill, with terminal one fourth 

 inch anil a two fifths inch median band, black ; the intervening ])ortions j>inkisli white." 



In this widely distributed species there is very little variation in colors among sjiecimens of the 

 .same age, but the difference in i>ripportions is often very great. A ])erfectly adult specimen from 

 the vicinity of Santiago, Chili, and one from San Francisco, Cal., are much alike in plumage, 

 except that in the former the crown is darker (being, in fact, decidedly dusky), while the back 

 is of a darker chestnut, with more decided violet-pur|i]e rellections. In dimensions, however, they 

 exhibit almost the extremes of measurements, as the following will show : — 



Cntjil. no. Locality. WiiiK. t'lihiien. Tarsus. MuMlo Toe. 



70028 San Francisco, Cal. 10.80 G.OO 4.25 2.75 



40042 Santiago, Chili. 9.50 4.15 3.25 2.20 



Specimens from the same locality, however, sometimes differ ([uite as much as those mentioned 

 above ; and we are unable to appreciate any geogra])hical differences whatever, examples from Chili, 

 Buenos Ayres, Mexico, and Columbia River being (|uite identical. A specimen from the Sandwich 

 Islands we refer to this species somewhat doubtfully, it being in immature jilunmge. It agrees 

 strictly with American examples of the same age in all respects wherein f/u(()((((/irt differs from 

 falciuellus, even to the reddi.sh color of the bill, lores, and feet. Still, it is possible that perfect 

 adults nuiy show differences from both forms. 



This species, known in its mature form as the Bronzed Ibis, and in its immature 

 condition as the Green Ibis, is a common species in Utah, Nevada, and Southwestern 

 Texas, and probably also in New Jlexico and Arizona, in localities favorable for its 

 residence and support. 



1 Notes from fresh specimens killed at Oreana, on the Humboldt River, Nevada, Sept. 3, 1867. 

 * Extremes of about forty specimens. 



