SCARLET IBIS. 563 
SCARLET IBIS.—TANTALUS RUBER. — Fic. 265. 
Le Courly rouge du Bresil, Briss. v. p. 344, pl. 29, fig. 2. —Red Curlew, Catesby, 
i. 84, — Arct. Zool, No. 366, 382. — Peale’s Museum, No. 3864; female, 3868. 
IBIS RUBRA. — Viei.or. 
Ibis rubra, Vieill. — Bonap. Synop. p. 311.— Wagl. Syst. Av, No. 4.— Ibis ruber, 
Wils. Ill. of Zool. i. pls. 7 and 36, in the plumage of second and first years. — 
Ibis rouge, Less. Man. d’ Ornith. il. p. 254. ; 3 
Taurs beautiful bird is found in the most southern parts of Carolina, 
also in Georgia and Florida, chiefly about the sea-shore and its vicin- 
ity. In most parts of America within the tropics, and in almost all 
the West India islands, it is said to be common; also in the Baha- 
mas. Of its manners, little more has been collected, than that it fre- 
quents the borders of the sea, and shores of the neighboring rivera, 
feeding on small fry, shell fish, sea worms, and small crabs. it is said 
frequently to perch on trees, sometimes in large flocks; but to lay its 
eggs on the ground, on a bed of leaves. The eggs are described as 
being of a greenish color; the young, when hatched, black ; soon af- 
ter, gray; and, before they are able to fly, white; continuing gradu- 
ally to assume their red color until the third year, when the scarlet 
plumage is complete. It is also said that they ‘usually keep in flocks, 
the young and old birds separately. They have frequently been 
domesticated. 
One of them, which lived for some time in the Museum of this city, 
was dexterous at catching flies, and most usually walked about, on 
that pursuit, in the position in which it is represented in Fig. 265. 
The Scarlet Ibis measures twenty-three inches in length, and thirty- 
seven in extent; the bill is five inches long, thick, and somewhat of a 
square form at the base, gradually bent downwards, and sharply 
ridged, of a black color, except near the base, where it inclines to red;, 
irides, dark hazel; the naked face is finely wrinkled, and of a pale 
red; chin, also bare, and wrinkled for about an inch; whole plumage, 
a rich, glowing scarlet, except about three inches of the extremities of 
the four outer quill-feathers, which are of a deep steel blue; legs, and 
naked part of the thighs, pale red, the three anterior toes united by a 
membrane as far as the first joint. 
Whether the female differs, in the color of her plumage, from the 
male, or what changes both undergo during the first and second years, 
I am unable to say from personal observation. Being a scarce species 
with us, and only found on our most remote southern shores, a suffi- 
cient number of specimens have not been procured to enable me to 
settle this matter with sufficient certainty. 
