WOOD IBIS. 457 



With the particular manners of this species I am not per- 

 sonally acquainted ; but the following characteristic traits are 

 given of it by Mr William Bartram, who had the best oppor- 

 tunities of noting them : — 



" This solitary bird," he observes, " does not associate in 

 flocks, but is generally seen alone, commonly near the banks 

 of great rivers, in vast marshes or meadows, especially such as 

 are covered by inundations, and also in the vast deserted rice 

 plantations ; he stands alone, on the topmost limb of tall, 

 dead cypress trees, his neck contracted or drawn in upon his 

 shoulders, and his beak resting like a long scythe upon his 

 breast ; in this pensive posture and solitary situation, they 

 look extremely grave, sorrowful, and melancholy, as if in the 

 deepest thought. They are never seen on the sea-coast, and 

 yet are never found at a great distance from it. They feed on 

 serpents, young alligators, frogs, and. other reptiles." * 



The figure of this bird given in the plate was drawn from 

 a very fine specimen, sent to me from Georgia by Stephen 

 Elliot, Esq. of Beaufort, South Carolina ; its size and mark- 

 ings were as follow : — 



Length, three feet two inches ; bill, nearly nine inches long, 

 straight for half its length, thence curving downwards to the 

 extremity, and full two inches thick at the base, where it rises 

 high in the head, the whole of a brownish horn colour ; the 

 under mandible fits into the upper in its whole length, and 

 both are very sharp edged ; face, and naked head, and part 

 of the neck, dull greenish blue, wrinkled ; eye, large, seated 

 high in the head ; irides, dark red ; under the lower jaw is a 

 loose corrugated skin or pouch, capable of containing about 

 half a pint ; whole body, neck, and lower parts, white ; quills, 

 dark glossy green and purple; tail, about two inches shorter 

 than the wings, even at the end, and of a deep and rich violet • 

 legs and naked thighs, dusky green ; feet and toes, yellowish, 

 sprinkled with black ; feet, almost semipalmated, and bordered 

 to the claws with a narrow membrane ; some of the greater 

 * Travels, &c, p. 150. 



