396 APPENDIX. 



IBIS PALCINELLUS, Linnceus. 

 (F. igneus, G. R. Gray.) 

 Glossy Ibis. 

 Gould, Handhk., Bds. Aust., Vol. ii., sp. 540, p. 286. 



Mr. K. H. Bennett has forwarded the following notes respect- 

 ing the nidification of this bird : — " On the 22nd of October, 1889, 

 whilst swimming about in a large depression on the plains, filled 

 with water by the late heavy rains, and thickly overgrown with 

 " Box " trees, (a species of Eucalyptus) in quest of the eggs of 

 Platalea Jlavipes, I noticed a Glossy Ibis, ( Ihis falcinellus) fly ofl 

 a nest, but as I had never known or heard of this bird breeding 

 here I did not take much notice of the occurrence, thinking that 

 the Ibis had been merely perched on the nest, although I thought 

 at the time that it appeared very different from those of the 

 Herons and Spoonbills. After swimming about for some time 

 and obtaining several Spoonbill's eggs, I returned to land and in 

 doing so passed the tree in which I had noticed the Ibis, and 

 again saw it fly off the nest, and at once concluded it was the nest 

 of the Ibis after all. On ascending the tree (the branch on which 

 the nest was placed being not more than eight or nine feet from 

 the water) I found that such was the case, and that it contained 

 one freshly laid egg, which I unfortunately broke whilst swimming 

 to land. One the 2nd November, I again visited this swamp or 

 depression in the hope of obtaining more Ibises' eggs, and was so 

 fortunate as to obtain six, three of which were from the nest from 

 which I took one on the 22nd ultimo ; to my surprise and grati- 

 fication on nearing the tree I observed the bird fly off the nest, 

 and on examination I found it contained three eggs. A further 

 search revealed another nest which also contained three eggs, but 

 which are considerably larger than those previously obtained, so 

 much so that had I not seen the bird fly off the nest I should 

 have been in doubt as to their identity, but on this point there 

 was no possibility of mistake, for the eggs being in a somewhat 

 advanced stage of incubation, the old bird evinced a great reluct- 

 ance to quit the nest, and allowed me to approach almost within 

 arm's length before she did so. The two nests were placed in 



Z 2— Appeu4ix n. 



