496 MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE IBIDIN.E. [JuHC 5, 



Von Homeyer, Journ. fiirOrnith. (1870) p. 427; Taczan. Journ. fiir 

 Orn. (1875) pp. 256-8. 



Nipponia temmincki, Reich. Syn. Av. pi. 141. fig. 538. 



Nipponia nippon, Bon. Consp. Gen. Av. (1857) ii. p. 152. 



Ibis (Geronticus) nippon, Radde, Reise im Siid. v. Ost-Sib. (1863) 

 p. 341. 



Geronticus nippon, Gray, Haud-1. B. (1871) pt. iii. p. 40. sp. 

 10232. 



Ibis sinensis, David, Compt. Rend. (1872) p. 64 ; Oust. Bull. 

 Nouv. Archiv. Mus. Paris (1872) p. 129, pi. 6. 



Hub. Japan ; China, near Shanghai ; Ningpo, North Formosa 

 (^Swinhoe) ; Siberia {Radde). 



Swinhoe, who saw this species iu Formosa, says that they are not 

 regular in their visits to that island ; but he has frequently observed 

 about the end of April some half dozen of these birds on the river- 

 shoals at Tamsuy. They did not seem to breed in Formosa. The 

 birds of the year were a smoke-grey, deep on the head and neck, 

 and nearly white on the wings and underparts. He also met with 

 them at Ningpo, and gives in ' The Ibis ' a full account of the spe- 

 cies from his observations of it while there. On December 31st, 

 1872, a pair flew over him ; and the male, perched in a lofty pine, 

 kept throwing his head forward and nttering his love-note of now, 

 now in a loud hoarse voice. In April they commenced putting on 

 their dark breeding-feathers. On the 10th of June a live bird of the 

 year, in grey plumage, was brought to him. It was very tame, re- 

 fused fish, but eat raw beef. The cheeks and over the eye were 

 covered with downy feathers ; but the rest of the face was bare, and 

 orange -yellow in colour instead of red. Irides light yellowish brown ; 

 legs and feet light brown, with a tinge of orange-flesh-colour. It 

 had a full occipital crest, and delighted to expand it. On the 23rd 

 of August he saw large parties of this Ibis on a lake, white birds 

 and dusky ones in company. He visited the same lake again on 

 November 18th, and saw large flocks of these birds ; but then they 

 were all white and rose-coloured, no grey ones among them. The 

 lake-dwellers call them Houff (red) le. A large party of Ibis settled 

 near him in the muddy water, where it was up to their tarsal knees. 

 After remaining still for a few moments they advanced, jerking their 

 bills about in every direction under water. They probably felt their 

 prey, and every thing caught was thrown into the throat by a few 

 nods of the head. Their captures were small fishes, as was ascertained 

 by dissection. When tired or satisfied each one flew to a ridge of 

 earth near by, stretched himself, yawned, preened his feathers a little, 

 and, sinking to the usual contracted position, remained quite still. 

 "When approached they sprang at once into the air from their 

 crouching attitude, their wings glowing as if under a rising or setting 

 sun, their bills chattering and uttering a ^aw-like murmur, mingled 

 with guttural cries like ffok, gok. They fly steadily, the legs stretched 

 out behind, reaching just beyond the tail, the head full forward, 

 the bill and forehead looking black. The Rosy Ibis breeds in com- 

 pany, but often in pairs by themselves, and have eggs in January, 



