96 IBIDID^ IBIS 



Distribution. — The Sacred Ibis is found throughout the whole 

 of Africa, especially on the coast and along the larger rivers. It 

 extends as far eastwards as Fao on the Persian Gulf and possibly 

 to the Caspian Sea. In Egypt it only occurs during the time of 

 high Nile in late summer and early autumn, and has hence escaped 

 the observation of most modern travellers. 



In South Africa the Sacred Ibis is met with throughout the 

 ■whole country where suitable conditions exist, but it appears to 

 leave the inland districts early in the Spring and resort to the 

 coast islands to breed. 



The following are the chief recorded localities : Gape Colony — 

 Cape division, November (Layard and S. A. Mus.), Eobben Island, 

 July (S. A. Mus.), Dassen Island, April (Stark), July (Sclater), 

 Saldanha Bay, May, September, October(Stark), Dyers Island, off the 

 Caledon coast, breeding in December (W. L. Sclater), Zoetendals Vlei 

 in Bredasdorp, December (Layard), Kuruman (S. A. Mus.) ; Natal — 

 Durban harbour (Ayres), Maritzburg, December, single example 

 (Fitsimmons), Newcastle, September (Feilden), St. Lucia Lake 

 (Woodward) ; Orange Eiver Colony — Bloemfontein (S. A. Mus.), 

 Kroonstad, June (Symonds), Vredefort Eoad (B. Hamilton) ; Trans- 

 vaal — Potehefstroom (Ayres), Modderfontein, August (Haagner) ; 

 Bechuanaland — Lake Ngami, August (Fleck), Botletli Eiver 

 (Bryden) ; Ehodesia — Makabusi Eiver near Salisbury (Marshall) ; 

 German South-west Africa — Ondonga, but not in Damaraland 

 (Andersson), Okavango Eiver, July (Fleck). 



Habits. — This was one of the most sacred birds of the ancient 

 Egyptians ; it was regarded as representing Thoth or Tehuti, the 

 Moon Deity, and was preserved in large numbers mummified in 

 the old Egyptian tombs. Cuvier was the first naturalist to identify 

 our present bird with the sacred bird of the ancients. 



In South Africa this Ibis is generally found along the coast or 

 about the larger rivers where it obtains its food ; this consists chiefly 

 of shell fish, worms and small crabs. It may often be seen about the 

 mud banks and sandy beaches probing the mud with its long beak ; it 

 is specially abundant on the guano islands, and is said there to devour 

 the young Penguins and Duikers on the nest, when left by their 

 parents exposed to view. Sometimes they associate in considerable 

 flocks, at other times only three or four are seen together ; they fly 

 with neck outstretched and with a series of steady wing-beats 

 followed by a short sail and generally form figures when flying 

 together. They are generally said to be very shy, but on some 

 of the islands they are certainly comparatively tame. 



