IBIS. 107 



when hatched, are black, in a little time after grey, but are nearly 

 white before they are able to fly ; from this they change to red 

 by degrees f , but it is not till the third year that the red colour 

 is complete, and in many birds even at that time many of the 

 neck feathers are found mixed with brown. It is moftly feen in 

 numbers together, and the young birds and old ones' keep in fe- 

 parate flocks : is frequently domefticated, in the parts where it 

 naturally inhabits, and I have alfo known it brought to England 

 for the fame purpofe. I have one now by me, which lived for 

 fome time among the poultry j but it grew fickly, loft all the 

 brilliancy of plumage, and before it died faded to a dull rofe- 

 colour. By fome it is efteemed for food. 



Le Courlis des Bois, Buf. Oif. viii. p, 42. ' 

 verd de Cayenne, PL Enl. 8zo. CAYENNE I. 



Tl ATHER lefs than the laft : length twenty-two inches. Description. 



The bill bent, five inches and a half long, and duiky ; the 

 bafe, and round the eye, bare, and of a duiky pale red : the ge- 

 neral colour of the plumage is black, with a greenifti glofs in 

 fome lights ; the quills and tail deepeft : legs brownilh yellow. 



In fome birds the top of the head and nape have the middle 

 of each feather dafhed with deep black, without any reflection 

 of green, and the legs almoft black ; at firft fight this may be 

 taken for the young bird of the Scarlet Ibis; but in the one here 



t Ulloa is faid to have met with large flights of Curlews within twenty or 

 thirty leagues of Juan Fernandez ; thefe were moftly white, except the breaft and 

 upper part of the wings, which were of a rofe-col°ur.— See Ft>y> ii. p. 228. Moft 

 likely they were this fpecies. 



P 2 defcribed, 



