50 SACRED 115 IS. 



colour. The feet and legs coloured less quickly. 



In March, April, and May, of the following year, 

 the hirds changed their feathers at the same time as in 

 freedom. The new plumage differed in nothing from 

 the first, except that the elongated scapularies assumed 

 the beautiful black blue metallic glittering, but did not 

 reach so far as in the old birds. The young Ibises 

 behaved themselves,, notwithstanding their tender age, 

 very sensibly, and were no disgrace to the name. As 

 soon as they were taken out of the nest they were fed 

 with pieces of meat, vfhich they immediately swallowed, 

 and always made their hunger known by a call like 

 * kirrirrirrirr,' and by trembling movements of the head 

 and neck, like the young of the Golden Oriole. They 

 very soon took meat from the doctor's hand, and 

 thenceforward fed themselves without further trouble. 

 In a few weeks they became great epicures, and fed 

 irpon cooked meat, vegetables, and bread, wisely putting 

 the latter into water before they swallowed it. They 

 took all food very willingly out of water, seeking for 

 it like Ducks, but without any noise of beak. They 

 displayed the greatest skill in taking the smallest insect 

 off the ground, and quickly shelled the grass seeds. 

 They ate frogs and lizards, though not- very willingly, 

 and were very fond of beetles. 



Their stride was always long; if eager to move they 

 made high awkward springs to reach the object. They 

 would sit on their knees for hours at a time; they were 

 always quiet and* grave, and readily became quite tame 

 and confiding. They came to a call like hens, and 

 followed the cook if he tapped a dish, or came close 

 up to him in the kitchen, and even penetrated to 

 every corner of the hoirse. Some of them w^ere the 

 doctor's constant companions in his room, and were 



