458 S CARLE T IBIS. 



wing-coverts are black at the root, and shafted with black ; 

 plumage on the upper ridge of the neck generally worn, as in 

 the presented specimen, with rubbing on the back, while in its 

 common position of resting its bill on its breast, in the manner 

 of the white ibis. (See fig. 3.) 



The female has only the head and chin naked ; both are 

 subject to considerable changes of colour when young, the body 

 being found sometimes blackish above, the belly cinereous, and 

 spots of black on the wing-coverts ; all of which, as the birds 

 advance in age, gradually disappear, and leave the plumage 

 of the body, &c, as has been described. 



SCAKLET IBIS. {Tantalus ruler.) 



PLATE LXVI.— Fig. 2. 



Le Courly Eouge du Bresil, Bviss. v. p. 344, pi. 29, fig. 2.— Red Curlew, Catesby, 

 i. 84.— Arct. Zool. No. 366, 382.— Peale's Museum, No. 3864; female, 3868. 



IBIS RUBRA.— Vieillot. 



Ibis rubra, Vieill. Bonap. Synop. p. 311. — Wagl. Syst. Av. No. 4.— Ibis ruber, 

 Wils. III. of Zool. i. pi. 7, and 36 in the plumage of second and first years. — 

 Ibis rouge, Less. Man. d'Ornith. ii. p. 254. 



This beautiful bird is found in the most southern parts of 

 Carolina, also in Georgia and Florida, chiefly about the sea- 

 shore and its vicinity. 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 Bahamas. Of its manners, little 

 more has been collected than that it frequents the borders of 

 the sea, and shores of the neighbouring rivers, feeding on 

 small fry, shellfish, 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 colour ; the young, when 

 hatched, black; soon after, grey; and before they are able 

 to fly, white ; continuing gradually to assume their red colour 

 until the third year, when the scarlet plumage is complete. 

 It is also said that they usually keep in flocks, the young and 



