ibis. 145 



it generally frequents the borders of the sea, and sides of the neigh- 

 bouring rivers, living on small fry of fish and insects, collected 

 when the sea retires from the shore. These birds frequently perch 

 on the trees in great numbers, but the female lays her eggs on the 

 ground on a bed of leaves, * the eggs of a greenish colour. The 

 young, newly hatched, are black, in a little time after grey, but are 

 nearly white before they are able to fly ; and from this they change 

 to red by degrees, f but are not completely so till the third year; 

 and in some, even at that time, many of the neck feathers are mixed 

 with brown. These are mostly seen in numbers together, and the 

 young and old keep in separate flocks. This bird is frequently 

 domesticated in the parts where it naturally inhabits, and is often 

 brought to England alive. One in iny collection, had lived very 

 cordially among the poultry, but after some time it grew sickly, lost 

 all the brilliancy of plumage ; and before it died, faded to a dull 

 rose-colour. It is in much esteem in Guiana, &c. for the rich scarlet 

 feathers, which the natives form into various ornaments ; it is also by 

 some esteemed for food. 



4.— CAYENNE IBIS. 



Tantalus Cayanensis, Jnd. Om. ii. 704. Gm. Lin. i. 652. 

 Courlis des Bois de Cayenne, Buf. viii. 42. PL enl. 820. 

 Ibis, Tern. Man. Ed. ii. Anal. p. ciii. 

 Cayenne Ibis, Gen. Syn. v. 107. 



LENGTH twenty-two inches ; Bill bent, five inches and a half 

 long and dusky ; the base, and round the eye a dusky pale red ; 

 plumage in general black, glossed with green in some lights ; quills 

 and tail darkest ; legs brownish yellow. 



* Pernetty says, on the house tops, and the holes of walls. — Voy. i. 183. 



•f In the PL enlum. No. 80. is one in this state of plumage. Ulloa met with large flights 

 of Curlews within twenty or thirty leagues of Juan Fernandez; these were mostly white, 

 except the breast and upper part of the wings, which were rose-coloured. See Voy. ii. 228. 

 Most likely they were this species. 



VOL. IX. U 



