92 BIRDS 



the bill from side to side through the water; the edges of 

 the sensitive mandibles recognize the nature of substances 

 touched, so that the bird finds food in muddy water. 



In former years the spoonbills nested in large colonies 

 in various swampy places in Florida. A large, bulky struc- 

 ture of sticks is usually arranged by the birds in small 

 shrubs and little trees growing in or near the water. Three 

 or four eggs are usually laid, the background being white 

 and the markings light brown. 



WHITE IBIS 



The White Ibis resembles the ancient sacred ibis of the 

 Nile, while in habits it resembles the heron, crane, and bit- 

 tern. Inhabitants of warm climates, in America their range 

 is becoming restricted yearly. Four varieties occur in North 

 America; the wood ibis and the white-faced, glossy ibis, 

 like the white ibis, are peculiarly American, while the scarlet 

 ibis is an accidental visitor. Some years ago the white ibis 

 was found in the southern swamps of Illinois and Indiana. 

 Of late years they have retreated to the wooded sections of 

 Florida, Texas, and other Gulf States. 



Ibises are gregarious, but, unlike the herons and cranes, 

 are almost silent birds. Their food is chiefly animal matter, 

 such as frogs, crawfish, and minnows. Their large beak is 

 well adapted for extracting and crushing crawfish. 



The flight of the white ibis, like that of the white pelican, 

 is picturesque. They move in close ranks, alternately flap- 

 ping and sailing, all birds moving the wings simultaneously. 

 As they pass through the sunlight the plumage glistens and 



