THE GLOSSY IBIS. 
271 
Genus PLEGADIS, Kaup. 
634. PLEGADIS FALCINELLUS. 
THE GLOSSY IBIS. 
Tantalus falcinellus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 241. Scolopax rufa, Scop. Ann. i. 
p. 93. Numenius igneus, S. G. Gin. Nov. Comm. Petrop. xv. p. 460, t. 18. 
Falcinellus igneus, Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 770 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 635 ; 
id. S. F. i. p. 257 ; Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 360 ; Bl. B. Burm. p. 158 ; Elliot, 
P. Z. S. 1877, p. 503 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 114 ; Doig, S. F. viii. p. 377 ; Oate.s, 
S. F. X. p. 245. Ibis falcinellus, Hume, S. F. iii. p. 192 ; David et Oust. Ois. 
Chine, p. 455. Falcinellus rufus, Anders. Yunnan Exped. p. 684. Plegadis 
falcinellus, Dresser, Birds Eur. vi. p. 335, pi. ; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 1109. 
Description. — Male and female. Forehead, crowiij nape, sides of the face, 
chin and throat brown glossed with green ; the whole lower plumage, the 
whole neck, back and lesser wing-coverts chestnut ; remainder of the 
plumage blacky glossed with bronze, purple and green. 
Iris brown, in some mottled with grey ; bill dark livid brown ; facial 
skin livid, extending round the eye from the centre of the forehead and 
thence to the sides of the lower mandible ; legs and feet bronzed brown, 
bluish above the knee. [Legge.) 
Length 25 inches, tail 4*5, wing 11*5, tarsus 4, bill from gape 5'5. The 
female is of about the same size. 
The Glossy Ibis is said by Mr. Blyth to occur in Arrakan. Capt. Feilden 
observed it at Thayetmyo, in Pegu ; and I also once saw a flock of these 
birds at the same place. 
It inhabits Europe, Africa, America and all the temperate and tropical 
parts of Asia down to Australia. 
This Ibis is found in large flocks, frequenting tanks, marshes and paddy- 
fields. It breeds on trees, constructing a nest of sticks and laying three 
green eggs. 
