GLOSSY IBIS. 435 
beautiful specimen preserved in the American Museum at 
New York, was shot a few miles from that city in June 1828. 
In Central Italy they arrive periodically about the middle of 
April, or the beginning of May, and pass a month among us, 
after which they disappear entirely, and a pair of the glossy 
ibis is of very rare occurrence, though they have been known 
to remain here so late as August. A few pairs are brought 
every year in spring to the market of Rome, and in Tuscany 
and near Genoa they are more plentiful. The Italian and 
United States specimens that have come under my observation 
were all adults. During their stay among us they occupy 
places near marshes and grounds subject to be overflowed, 
where there are no trees, but abundance of grass, and plenty 
of their favourite food. They search for this collected in flocks 
of from thirty to forty, and explore the ground with great 
regularity, advancing in an extended line, but closely side 
by side: when they wish to leave one side of the meadow for 
another, they do not take wing, but walk to the selected spot. 
When they have alighted on a newly-discovered rich spot of 
ground, they may be observed on it for hours, continually 
boring the mud with their bill. They never start and run 
rapidly like the curlew and sandpiper, but always walk with 
poised and measured steps, so that Allian says the ibis’s 
motions can only be compared to those of a delicate virgin. 
The body is kept almost horizontal, the neck much bent, like 
the letter 8, and lifting their feet high. If alarmed, or when 
about to depart, they rise to wonderful heights, ascending first 
in an inclined but straight flight, and then describing a wide 
spiral, the whole flock are heard to cry out in a loud tone, 
their voice resembling that of geese: finally having reached 
what they consider the proper height, taking a horizontal 
direction, they soon disappear from the sight: their flight is 
vigorous and elevated, their pectoral muscles being very thick : 
they fly with the neck and legs extended horizontally, like 
most waders, and as they float along, send forth from time to 
time a low and very hoarse sound. ‘heir food consists chiefly 
