IBISES 



241 



Its food consists of crabs, mollusca, worms, &c. It 

 constructs a platforna of rushes or seaweeds amongst the 

 rocks. Koberts found a colony of these birds breeding on 

 a " pan " near Balmoral Station in the Transvaal on December 

 11, 1904. The nests were built on the rushes about 6 inches 



Fig. 125. — Hadadah Ibis on nest. 



above the surface of the water, and contained each from two 

 to three eggs — ^these were of a dirty white colour, some 

 marked with light brown round the obtuse ends, but the 

 majority were hardly marked at all. Besides eggs, young 

 in all stages of growth were found. 



The Bald Ibis {Geronticus calvus) is of a dark metallic 



E 



