498 BIKDS — TANTALIDJE. 



PeLGADIS FALCINELLU8 (L.) Kaup (?). 



GrlosBy Ibis. 

 IKs ordii, Wheaton, Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1860, 368, 377 ; Reprint, 1861, 10. 

 llfis faldneUus, Wheaton, Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agrio. Kep. for 1874, 473 ; Reprint, 



1875, 13. 

 lUs faldnellua, var. ordii, COUBS, Birds of N. W., 1874, 517.— Langdon, Cat. Birds of 



Cin., 1877, 15. 

 Plegadus falcinellws, Lansdon, Revised List, Jonrn. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 188; 



Reprint, 22. 

 Glossy Ibis, Kirtland, Fam, Visitor, i, 1850, 164. 



Ihis faldneUus, Bonaparte, Obs. Wils., 1825, No. 199. 



Ibis ovdii, Bonaparte, List, 1838, 49. 



Ibis faldnellua var. o)-dii, CoUES, Key, 1872, 263. 



Pelgadis faldmellus, , Ibis, 1878, 112. 



Plumage rich dark-ohestnnt, changing to glossy dark-green with purplish reflections 

 on the head, wings and elsewhere ; bill dark ; young similar, much duller, or grayish- 

 brown, especially on the head and neck which are white streaked. Claws slender, nearly 

 straight ; head bare only about the eyes and between the forks of the jaw. Length, 

 about 2 feet; wing, 10-11 ; tail, 4 ; bill, 4^ ; tarsus, 3J ; middle toe and claw, 3. 



Habitat, United States, southerly, straying north to Massachusetts and Ohio. 



Extremely rare or accidental, only one record of its occurrence known 

 to me. Dr. Kirtland, after quoting from the Boston Traveler, [June] 28, 

 1850, an account of tke capture of this species at Cambridge and Middle- 

 boro, Massachusetts, and Middletown, Connecticut, says : 



"To the above we would add that two of thes6 interesting birdo, probably a pair, 

 were seen two years since, near Fairporb, Lake county. One of them, a beautiful male, 

 was shot by Mr. Prugen, and forwarded to ns. It was duly skinned and mounted, and 

 may now be seen standing along side of a Scarlet Ibis, from the banks of the Amazon, 

 in the second case south of the door, in the cabinet of Nat. Hist., at the Cleve. Med. Coll. 



Mr. Prugen has furnished us with several rare birds ; among others a fine specimen of 

 Wilson's Phalarope, and a pair of Crreat Marbled Godwits." _ 



Dr. Coues gives the following brief account of this bird (Birds N. W., 

 517), to which may be added that later iuTestigations have shown it to be 

 not uncommon at Utah Lake and other localities in the Western United 

 States, where it is known as the " Black Snipe " and " Black Curlew;" 

 and Mr. Ridgway describes two other species of this genus in the United 

 States, one at least of which is tenable : 



"The Glossy Ibis is not figured in Wilson's Ornithology, and remained an unknown 

 inhabitant of the United States up to the termination of that author's labors. In 1817 

 a specimen was taken in New Jersey, and announced by Mr. Ord under the the name of 

 Tantalus mexicanus Since that time it has been found at irregular intervals along our 

 coast, chiefly in the Southern and Middle districts, but occasionally as far north as 

 Massachusetts ; where, however, its occurrence must be considered as accidental. 

 Audubon says that he found it in flocks in Texas, but gives only a meagre account of ita 



