Ill* BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



Ibis guarauna {nee Linn.) Oabot, Proc. Boat. 8oc. il. 1850, 313, 332. 

 Numenius longirostris {nee Wilb.) Gossk, B. Jam. 1847,348. 

 Tantalus hengalensis "Light." Bonap. Consp. ii, 1855. 158. 

 Ibis peregrina "Mull." Bonap. Consp. ii, 185.5, 159. 



Hab, Warmer parts of the eastern hemisphere; West Indies, and eastern United States. 

 Of irregular distribution and only locally abundant in America. 



8p. Chab. Adult. Feathers bordering the base of the bill all round, blackish, 

 Pileum, cheeks, and chin glossy greenish black, with purplish reflections. Hinder part of 

 head, whole neck, anterior portion of back, and anterior half of lesser wing-covert tract rich 

 reddish chestnut, darkest on back. Lower parts, except under tail- co verts, axillars, and 

 under wing-coverts, uniform bright reddish chestnut, lighter, brighter, and less purpUsh 

 than neck. Upper parts (except as described), under wing-coverts, axillars, and undf r tail- 

 coverts, glossy metallic dark purple, green, and bronze; the posterior portion of back, pos- 

 terior scapulars, wing-coverts, tertials, rump, upper . tall-coverts, and tail nearly uniform 

 dull violet-purple, changing to bottle-green in certain lights; alulas, primary-coverts, pri- 

 maries, and lower secondaries brighter bronze-green; up (ler secondaries more bronzy, with 

 a purple shade in certain lights. Under surface of wings and tail more burnished, metallic 

 green, bronze, and purple, the tint varying with the inclination to the light; axillars less 

 shining, and more violaceous; crissum violet-purple and green, like the rump. Bill black; 

 bare loral space greenish or bluish; legs and feet greenish blackish.* 



Young (changing from first to second plumage): Head and neck distinctly streaked 

 with dusky brown and white, the dusky streaks wider and more blackish on the pileum. 

 the whitish streaks gradually becoming more indistinct below. Entire lower parts plain 

 snuff-brown, with a soft purplish tinge, especially on the breast and tibiae ; crissum, metal- 

 lic green and violet. Upper parts dark, metallic violet-purple, green and bronze, the first 

 largely predominating, the last in traces; the back darkest and most uniform, the rump in- 

 terspersed with bright dark green feathers. A few dark chestnut feathers interspersed 

 over the anterior portion of the lesser wing-covert region (No. 67,003, Greece). Young 

 [changing from second to third plumage): In general appearance much like the preceding, 

 but breast, abdomen, and tibiae mostly reddish chestnut, and the anterior portion of the 

 back and scapulars mixed with many feathers of the same color; head and neck much 

 tinged with chestnut, the streaks indistinct (No. 17,493, female, Hungary). 



[Note. The Tantalus viridis of Gmelin (Syst. Nat. ii, pt. i. p. 648, No. 8, based on Green 

 Ibis of Latham, Synopsis, iii, pt. i, p. 114, No. 13) seems to be this species in incomplete first 

 plumage, or still retaining the downy covering of the head and neck.] 



Length, about 25 inches; expanse, 42: wing, 10.20-11.85; tail, 4.3('- 1.50; culmen, 4.30-5.45; 

 depth of bill, .50-60; tarsus. 2.90-4.30; middle toe, 2.10-2.80: bare portion of tibia, 1.70-3.10. 



The young of P. autumnalis closely resembles that of P. guarauna, but is rather darker 

 colored, the upper parts being much more violaceous, and the lower parts less grayish. 



The Glossy Ibis, like its white relative, is an irreo^ular sum- 

 mer visitor to Illinois, and is not known to breed within our 

 limits. Mr. Julius Hurter, of St. Louis, Mo., took one speci- 



> Audubon says: "Bill black; bare part of head grayish blue; iris hazel; feet grayish 

 black, claws brown." 



