THE WOOD IBIS. 561 



These curious feathers, with their light polished, golden surface, afford a pretty contrast to 

 the glossy green-black of the chest and wings, and the pure white of the neck and abdomen. 

 The following description of the bird and its habits is written by Mr. Gould, in the " Birds of 

 Australia." 



" This beautiful Ibis has never yet been discovered out of Australia, over the whole of 

 which immense country it is probably distributed, as it is more abundant in certain localities 

 at one season than at another ; its presence, in fact, appears to depend upon whether the season 

 be or be not favorable to the increase of the lower animals upon which the vast hordes of this 

 bird feed. After the severe drought of 1839, it was in such abundance on the Liverpool plains, 

 that to compute the number in a single hock was impossible. It was also very numerous on 

 the seaside of the great Liverpool range, inhabiting the open downs and flats, particularly such 

 as were studded with shallow lagoons, through which it would wade knee-high in search of 

 shelled mollusks, frogs, newts, and insects ; independently of the food I have mentioned, it 

 feeds on grasshoppers and insects generally. The natives informed me that sometimes many 

 seasons elapsed without the bird being seen. Where, then, does it go I To what country does 

 it pass ? Does there not exist a vast oasis in the centre of Australia, to which the bird migrates 

 when it is not found in the located parts of the country? We may reasonably suppose such 

 to be the case. 



"The Straw-necked Ibis walks over the surface of the ground in a very stately manner ; it 

 perches readily on trees, and its flight is both singular and striking, particularly when large 

 flocks are passing over the plains, at one moment showing their white breasts, and at the next, 

 by a change in their position, exhibiting their dark-colored backs and snow-white tails. During 

 the large semicircular sweeps they take over the plains, and when performing a long flight, 

 they rise tolerably high in the air ; the whole flock then arrange themselves in the form of a 

 figure or letter similar to that so frequently observed in flights of geese and ducks. 



"The note is a loud, hoarse, croaking sound, which may be heard at a considerable dis- 

 tance. When feeding in flocks they are closely packed, and from the constant movement 

 of their bills and tails, the whole mass seems to be in perpetual motion. In disposition this 

 bird is rather shy than otherwise ; still, with a very little care, numerous successful shots may 

 be made with an ordinary fowling-piece. 



"The sexes, when fully adult, exhibit the same beautiful metallic coloring of the plumage. 

 The female is, however, smaller, and lias the straw-like appendages on the neck less prolonged 

 and less stout than in the male. Mature birds only have the wdiole of the head and back of 

 the neck quite bare of feathers." 



The coloring of the Straw-necked Ibis is very conspicuous, and the lines of demarcation 

 between the different tints are sharply drawn. The head and part of the neck are deep 

 sooty-black, which suddenly changes into a beautiful white downy plumage, clothing the 

 remainder of the neck. From the fore part of the neck and throat hang a number of delicate 

 fringe-like feathers. The whole of the upper surface is colored of a deep and glistening green- 

 black, "shot" with purple, and changing its tints at every variation of light. Irregular bars 

 of the same color as the head are drawn across the back, and the entire under-surface is pure 

 white. Diiring the life of this bird the thighs are slightly colored with crimson, but this tinting 

 soon vanishes after death. 



Wood Ibis (Tantalus loculator). This is a bird of considerable size for an Ibis. It 

 inhabits the South Atlantic and Gulf States; ranging north to Ohio, Illinois, and the Carolinas; 

 southward, it reaches Cuba and South America. It is a remarkable and interesting bird. It 

 resembles a crane, being nearly four feet in length ; standing higher than that when erect. 

 It is pure white, with the tips of wings and the tail black. The adult bird has an entirely 

 bald head, and an euormously thick, heavy bill, tapering and a little declined. 



In Florida it is absurdly called the Gannet, a term properly applied to a sea-bird. In 

 Colorado it is named Water Turkey. Tn Florida, on the Upper St. John's, it is quite common. 

 A large breeding-place is known on the borders of Lake Ashley, in Florida. It is estimated 

 that a thousand pairs breed there. Dr. Bryant, who visited this place, says: "I almost 



Vol. II.— 71. 



