1877'] MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE IBIDIN.E. 493 



common than the Black-headed Ibis (/. melanocephala) , and fre- 

 quents open places together with the sandy shores of streams. 

 They go in flocks, and feed chiefly on insects, as the stomach of one 

 which was shot contained only heads, legs, and wing-cases of locusts ; 

 that of another was full of large grasshoppers and a lizard, while 

 a third contained the chrysalides of butterflies. This bird roosts 

 in trees, and breeds in the months of February, March, April, May, 

 and June, and lays three or four pale bluish-white eggs, slightly 

 streaked and spotted with brown, 2j*j5^ in. in length by \-^-^ in. in 

 width. Captain Beavan procured it in the Maunbhoom dis- 

 trict at Makun, near Ambekanugger, and also saw it at Julpigoorie, 

 where it was deemed very fair eating, and therefore often shot. 



Head and throat nude, skin black. A triangular patch of bright 

 red papillae on the back of the head, reaching above the eyes. Neck 

 and upper parts fuscous brown, with a bronze-green gloss on the back. 

 Wings shining steel-blue. A conspicuous white patch on the inner 

 lesser coverts. Tail steel-blue, not so dark as the wings, with green 

 reflections. Lower parts fuscous brown, under tail-coverts bronze- 

 green. Bill greenish lead-colour ; iris dull orange-red ; legs and 

 feet brick-red. Total length 30 inches ; wing 18, tail 8, bill along 

 culmen 6|^, tarsus 3. 



8. COMATIBIS COMATA. 



Ibis (Geronticus) comata, Riipp. Syst. Uebers. (1845) t. 45 ; 

 Blanf. Zool. Abyss. (1870) p. 43G. sp. 278. 



Geronticus comatus, G. R. Gray, Gen. B. (1847) vol. iii. p. 5G7. 

 sp. 13; Heugl. Syst. Uebers. Vcig. Nordost-Afr. (1855) p. 313. 

 sp. 636; Tristr. Ibis (1860) p. 78. sp. 127; Gray Hand-1. (1871) 

 pt. iii. p. 40. 



Comatibis comata, Reich. Nov. Syn. Av. (1851) pi. 291. figs. 

 2383, 2384 ; Bon. Consp. Gen. Av. (1857) vol. iii. p. 153. 



Ibis comata, Schleg. Mus. Pays.-B. (1863) livr. 4, p. 9 ; Heugl. 

 Ornith. Nordost-Afr. (1873) Band ii. Abth. 2, p. 1144. 



Hab. North-east Africa, Abyssinia, Algeria. 



The Rev. H. B. Tristram met with this species in Algeria beyond 

 Bou Guizouu, on the road to El Aghouat. It appeared to prefer 

 arid mountain-ranges, and consorted with the Raven and Falcon. Its 

 food consisted of lizards and serpents ; and it breeds in iuacessible 

 holes of precipices. A coarse egg of a deep blue colour, about the 

 size of that of a common Heron, was shown to him as belonging to 

 this species. It did not appear to be gregarious. The legs and feet 

 are peculiarly coarse and rough, adapted rather for rocks and sand 

 than mud and water. According to Blanford this species did not 

 seem to be common in Abyssinia on the route traversed by him, as 

 he only met with it twice, once near Senafe, and again a large flock 

 near Antale. Von Heuglin met with it in winter on the coast of 

 Abyssinia, and in February in large flocks on the high plains of 

 Woggara, together with the Bostrychia carunculatd. It seems to 

 breed there. 



Top, sides of head, and upper part of throat bare of feathers ; 



