Insts. GRALLATORES. IBIS. 57 
Tantalus viridis, Gmel. Syst. 1. 848.—Lath. Ind, Ornith. 2.° 
707. 15. Young. 
Green Ibis, Lath. Syn. 5. 114. 13. 
Tantalus igneus, Gmel. Syst. 1. 649.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 708. 16. 
Glossy Ibis, Lath. Syn. 5. 115. 14.—Lewin’s Br. Birds, 4. pl. 152.—Mont. 
Ornith. Dict. and Sup.—Steph. Shaw’s Zool. 12. 13.—Bewick’s Sup. to 
the Birds. 
Brazilian Curlew, Nat. Miscell. 17. 705. 
Tis resplendent bird (for soit may with propriety be call- Occasional 
ed, from the metallic lustre which gilds the greater part of its ae 
plumage) is occasionally driven from its direct course to our 
shores, during its periodical autumnal migrations from the 
northern part of the European continent, to which great 
bodies of them annually resort to breed and pass the summer 
months. At the period of the first publication of Dr La- 
THAmM’s works, it seems to have been of very rare occurrence 
in Britain, or had perhaps escaped observation, from the 
small degree of previous attention bestowed on the subject 
of natural history. Since the appearance, however, of his 
Index Ornithologicus and General Synopsis, many speci- 
mens have been noticed, and scarcely a year passes without 
mention of one or more of these birds bemg taken. From 
the change undergone in plumage from the young to the ma- 
ture state, this Ibis has, by Gmetin, Latuam, and other 
writers, been described under different specific names. Our 
countryman Monracu (whose attention was particularly di- 
rected to this interesting subject), appears to have been the 
first to detect and point out the identity of these supposed 
species; and he has, at considerable length, and with great 
clearness, elucidated its history in the valuable Supplement 
to his Ornithological Dictionary, under our present specific 
title. ‘The geographical distribution of this bird is very 
wide, and embraces the greater part of the ancient world. 
In Europe (where it is periodically visitant, residing during 
the summer season), it is found in all the continental parts, 
as far north as Sweden, Norway, and (according to WacLER), 
Iceland ; but its longitudinal flight does not spread so far 
to the westward as our islands. In Asia it is very common, 
