THE GLOSSY IBIS. 
189 
Mid- Yell Voe, 1 Staw two lly across the hows of the vessel. 
Finding it very breezy outside, tliey returned, and alighted in 
shallow water under the lee of the cliffs, where I watched them 
thi’ongh a telescope for more than half an hour. They generally 
kept together, and waded pretty deej), keeping the broad part 
of the bill submerged, and moving it steadily from side to side’ 
as they advanced. I did not observe them swallow anything. 
It is a rare visitor to Orkney ; nevertheless, Mr Gray says 
(“ Birds of West of Scotland,” p. 286) that no less than ten 
were seen hying across the Bay of Kirkwall, six of which were 
killed ! 
THE GLOSSY IBIS. 
Ibis falcinellus. 
About the end of October 1862, immediately after a south- 
westerly gale, a man living at Stove, in Unst, shot a Glossy 
Ibis in his corn-yard. The skin was preserved, but neither the 
sex nor the contents of the stomach were noted. The bird 
appeared to be much exhausted, and would scarcely take wing 
when disturbed. The skin was not dry when I took down the 
following measurements and general description : — 
Length, 
AVing, from flexure to tip, 
Bill, from front to tip. 
Tarsus, 
Middle toe and its claw. 
23 inches. 
114 „ 
Bill, dark brown, tinged with green, paler at the base, where 
it is of the same colour as the naked skin upon the lore — 
pale olive-green. 
Iris, said to have been dark brown. 
Head, Neck, and Ujpjper Surface . — Head and neck rusty brown ; 
on front of upper part of neck, and on the top of the head, some 
dingy white marks ; in the situation last named there are also 
some indistinct brownish spots. Upper p>art of back rather 
darker than neck, and indistinctly bronzed. Scapulars, upper 
