BITTERNS AND IBISES 



263 



The Least Bittern 1 is the smallest member 

 of the Heron Order, — a queer little brownish- 

 yellow and black creature, duly mottled, of 

 course, with a sparrow-like bod}', and a wide, 

 flat neck several sizes too large for the body of 

 the bird. On the whole, it is a pretty little 

 creature, associated by habit with the long- 

 billed marsh-wren, the rail, and the red-winged 

 blackbird. 



THE STORK FAMILY. 



Ciconiidae. 



The real Storks are found only in the Old 

 World; but the Wood Ibis 2 is a member of 

 the Stork Family, and he looks it. He is a 

 big, burly, bald-headed, good-natured bird, 

 standing 31 inches high. No matter what goes 

 on around him, he is as solemn as an owl. Al- 

 though large enough to do much damage to 

 birds smaller than himself, he associates with 

 herons, ducks, geese, and ibises, of all sizes, 

 without the slightest desire to harm any of them, 

 or even to rule them. In a large bird, capable 

 of much mischief, such perpetual good temper 

 is worthy of note. 



When this bird is adult and clean, its plumage 

 is pure white, and it is a noteworthy member 

 of any feathered community. Specimens are 

 nearly always procurable in Florida at a reasona- 

 ble price ($S), and there are always several in 

 the New York Zoological Park. This species 

 "breeds in Florida and the Gulf states, after 

 which it wanders north as far as Kansas, In- 

 diana and New York." (F. M. Chapman.) 



THE IBIS FAMILY 



Ibididae. 



In North America this Family contains three 

 species of birds that are heron-like in general 

 form, but are quite differently provided as to 

 their bills. The bill of a true ibis is long, slen- 

 der and curved, much like that of a long-billed 

 curlew, and it is fitted for probing in soft earth, 

 or shallow water. The neck is round, and the 

 head also, instead of being flat-sided like that 

 of a heron. 



The White Ibis 3 is yet found in Florida, and 

 excepting the four outer wing-feathers (prima- 



1 Ar-dei'ta ex-i'lis. Length, 13 inches. 



2 Tan'ta-lus loc-u-la'tor. Average length, 38 inches. 



3 Guar'a al'ba. Average length, 24 inches. 



eris), which are black, it is a pure-white bird. 

 Specimens in the first year are grayish-brown 

 and white, and in color do not even suggest the 

 pure-white plumage of the second year, and 

 thereafter. This species rarely comes into any 

 of the northern states. 



The beautiful and brilliant Scarlet Ibis, 4 

 once a habitant of southern Florida and Louisi- 

 ana, is no longer found in the United States. 

 In color it is one of the most brilliant birds in 

 all America, though by no means so beautiful 

 as the resplendent trogon. I saw it in great 

 numbers on the mud-flats at the mouth of the 



WHITE IBIS. 



Orinoco, and shot it on the coast of British 

 Guiana. On Marajo Island, in the delta of the 

 Amazon, it breeds in hundreds — a sight worth 

 a long journey to see. Unfortunately, it is 

 impossible to keep specimens of this species in 

 confinement and have them retain their color. 

 In a few months they fade until they are pale 

 pink. 



The Glossy Ibis 5 is a dark-colored bird, its 

 prevailing color being rich brownish-purple with 

 metallic-green reflections, and abundant irides- 

 cence. It seems smaller than the two light-colored 

 species mentioned above, but in realitj r it is not. 

 In 1899 two specimens were captured on the St. 

 Johns River, opposite Melbourne, Florida, and 

 one of them lived two years in the Zoological 

 Park. This species is rare, even in Florida, but 

 in Texas and the Southwest the White-Faced 

 Glossy Ibis is of more frequent occurrence. 



4 Guar'a ru'bra. Length, 23 inches. 



5 Pleg'a-dis au-tum-nal'is. Length, 23 inches. 



