MEXICAN IBIS. 
15 
giosa, was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians, and 
embahned; and the mummies of both species are now 
found in plenty in the catacombs of Memphis. 
MEXICAN IBIS. 
•4- (Ibis mexicana.) 
Ib. purpureo-viridi-7iigricanteqiie varius, subtus fuscus ruhro varie- 
gatus, tectricibus alarum viridibus, rostro ccBrulescente. 
Ibis varied with purple, green, and black, beneath brown, varie- 
gated with red, the wing-coverts green, the beak blue. 
Tantalus niexicanus. Gmel. Syst. Nat. 1. 652. Lath. Lid. Orn. 
2. 704. 
Numenius mexicanus varius. Briss. Orn. 5. 335. 
Acacalotl. Rati. Syn. 104. Buff. Hist. Nat. Ois. 8. 45. 
Mexican Ibis. Lath. Gen. Syn. 5. 108. 
The Mexican Ibis is very large, measuring three- 
feet in length : the beak is eight inches long and 
bluish : the irides are red : naked space round the eyes, 
and between them and the beak, reddish : the head 
and neck varied with dusky white and green feathers, 
slightly mixed with yellow : the back and rump black, 
glossed with green and purple : the wing-coverts are 
green : the quills and tail are glossed with copper : 
the breast and belly are brown, tinged with a slight 
mixture of red : the legs are black. 
This species frequents the lakes of Mexico : it 
feeds on fish. 
